The company was seeking clarity on the regulatory position surrounding the handling, movement and management of the petroleum cargo while the matter was being reviewed.
PETALING JAYA: Maritime industry observer Datuk Seri Jeyenderan Ramasamy has called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to provide a written update on a report he lodged in June concerning alleged commingling or blending of petroleum cargo.
Jeyenderan, who is the chief executive officer of Maritime Network Sdn Bhd, said in a letter to MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman yesterday that more than two months had passed since the report was lodged on June 5, without his company receiving a formal written update on its status.
He said the company had cooperated with the relevant authorities by providing documents and information, attending meetings and responding to requests for clarification.
“Our sole objective has been to establish the official position and to obtain clear direction on how the affected operations may be managed lawfully and responsibly,” he said.
Jeyenderan said the company was seeking clarity on the regulatory position surrounding the handling, movement and management of the petroleum cargo while the matter was being reviewed.
He said a clear written position would help businesses understand what activities could proceed, whether additional controls were required and which agency was responsible for making relevant determinations.
“Decisions affecting the handling, movement and management of petroleum cargo cannot responsibly be left in indefinite uncertainty.
“Our operations require a clear regulatory direction, yet no authority has provided a definitive written position identifying what may proceed, what must be suspended, what additional controls are required, or which agency has responsibility for making those determinations,” he said.
Jeyenderan said the issues raised went beyond a commercial disagreement, in his view, as they involved questions relating to cargo traceability, customs and petroleum regulatory compliance and the administration of government revenue.
He also said greater coordination among the relevant agencies would help reduce the possibility of differing interpretations or instructions being given to industry participants.
“We cannot reasonably be expected to manage operations according to informal, incomplete or contradictory communications while an official report is said to remain under investigation,” he said.
Jeyenderan also sought clarification on whether the authorities had reached any conclusion on the report, including whether it had been closed or whether no further action was being contemplated.
He stressed that the company was not seeking confidential information relating to any investigation, but was asking for procedural clarity and guidance relevant to its operations.
Separately, the issue comes amid heightened international attention on potential tariff evasion involving transshipment and China-linked supply chains.
On Aug 14, the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy published a report titled The Great Transshipment Scam: Rise, Scope, and Costs, which identified Malaysia among more than 40 countries it said were at risk of facilitating tariff evasion through transshipment networks.
The report allegedly placed Malaysia in its Tier 2 category alongside countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
It cited Malaysia’s deep-water ports, manufacturing centres and free-trade zones as factors that could make the country a potential transit point for goods moving through international supply chains.
The report also referred to Malaysia’s role as both a manufacturing and logistics hub, including areas such as the Penang-Kulim industrial corridor and Port Klang Free Zone.
