PETRONAS CLARIFIES POSITION ON GASOLINE SALES TO IRAN

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS has clarified that sales of
gasoline to Iran, was based purely on commercial transactions.

PETRONAS explained that through its subsidiary, PETRONAS Trading Company
(PETCO), it sold spot volumes of gasoline from third party traders and suppliers
to customers in Iran.

The last shipment of gasoline into Iran was made in mid-March this year, it
said in a statement clarifying various media reports, regarding the status of
its gasoline supply to Iran.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak stated that foreign
news reports quoting him as saying Malaysia had cut off gasoline supplies
to Iran, was incorrect.

"It is incorrect and not a decision taken by Petronas per se. It involved a
spot sale and there was no requirement anymore, so they don't do it (anymore),"
he told Malaysian reporters on Friday.

Najib said the transaction was purely commercial and if there were further
requests for spot sales, it would be up to the parties involved.

News reports had linked the halt in sales to the international pressure on
Iran over its nuclear programme and in the run-up to the Nuclear Security Summit
held in Washington last week, during which Najib had a bilateral meeting with
President Barack Obama for the first time.

-- BERNAMA