by Ganesh Sahatheva
Anwar agreed to continue talking,Albanese claimedhe had a guarantee of supply
Australia's Anthony Albanese, in trouble at home for leaving Australia vulnerable to oil shocks, began deploying NSW Labor union strategies on the interational stage about three weeks ago by flying all over East and South East Asia in what he and his Foreign Minister Penny Wong declared was their mission to find oil. Both have strong union antecedents, so it was not surprising that they employed tactics employed for decades by union leaders to impress their members, who were once poorly educated factory hands.
In Malaysia Albanese and Wong (who was born in Malaysia) held discussions with PM Anwar Ibrahim, who gave the typical Malay PKR/UMNO assurances of undying mateship ("we will be mates") ensuring to never mention that as PM he has ultimate say over what national oil company PETRONAS can or cannot do.
Returning to Australia, Albanese backed by the government owned and Labor friendly Australian Broadcasting Corporation , wasted no time declaring that his effort in building better relations with ASEAN had secured Australia's supply of oil. He took pride in each announcement of crude tankers arriving in Australia from the countries Albanese had visited.
Last week Albanese announced that 100 lires of oil were on their way from Malaysia, as a result of his meeting with Anwar. Anwar denied it, and his denial was carried by the state controlled NST (see story below). He did however point to a trade between Vitol and BP, with oil stored by Vitol in Malaysia. Albanese had not provided any explanation, but as reported here previously, corruption hidden by complex structures are a normal feature of Malaysia's oil trades. Albanese and his ALP colleagues are participants in this world by their own design, but finding a formulation of words that would allow them tell their story to their followers without looking as grubby and corrupt as Asian politicians seems to have left them dumbfounded.
To Be Read With
PMO: Diesel bound for Australia not sourced from Malaysia
The PMO said the diesel headed to Australia belonged to an international company that purchased crude oil from other countries and stored it in Malaysia.
"The Malaysian government and Petronas are not selling our fuel and diesel, as previously said by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"The fuel that is being supplied to Australia is under a contract between Viva Energy and BP Australia, which was reflected in the media report.
"It is described as being 'from Malaysia' because the vessel loads fuel stored in Malaysia.
"The diesel does not originate from Malaysia's natural resources," the PMO said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was quoted as saying that two cargoes were coming from South Korea, one from Brunei and another from Malaysia.
Anwar on April 17 had said that Malaysia would only consider supplying fuel to Australia if there is enough surplus after meeting domestic demand.
He, however, said that the current capacity remains tight as the government prioritises domestic needs even as both countries explore cooperation in fuel, minerals and fertiliser inputs.
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