Sparked by rumours that petrol stations will be closed for five days and that fuel prices will go up by another RM1, thousands of motorists rushed to petrol stations in most parts of Sabah to fill up their tanks yesterday.
Queues first started about 1pm, and by 4pm, there were massive jams stretching for up to three kilometres in some areas.
Motorists met at the Jalan Sulaman Shell station insisted that petrol pumps would not operate starting today.
"My boss instructed me to fill up the tank of his van.
"He told me that petrol stations will stop selling petrol for three days," Andy Lo said.
Another motorist said he received a text message from a friend who said that stations would be closed for five days.
Others claimed that they received SMSes and calls that the fuel price would go up by another ringgit from midnight.
A cashier at the petrol station said the crowd grew bigger about 2pm and many vehicle owners enquired if it was true fuel rates were going up and that station owners would stop their business for several days to protest that their commissions have not been raised.
"We have not heard anything from our manager. We are surprised too," the cashier said.
At the Esso station in the city, some motorists even filled up plastic containers with petrol.
The New Straits Times office here received several calls from concerned motorists, and some of its reporters were bombarded with text messages, including from Sandakan and Keningau, to find out what was going on.
Sabah Petroleum Dealers Association president Charles Soong when contacted said he had no idea how the rumour started.
"We are only stopping the use of credit cards at petrol stations under our umbrella, in line with the national Petroleum Dealers Association's directive.
"The national association is asking the government to meet a few more requirements, including raising our commissions to an acceptable level and if that demand is not met, we plan not to sell fuel for eight hours tomorrow.
"However I am sure this eight-hour protest will not materialise as the government is concerned about what is happening and will listen to our plight," Soong said.
In an immediate response, Shell Malaysia corporate affairs and government relations head for Sabah and Labuan, Datin Lucy Irene Yong said there was no truth to the rumours.
"It's not true. It is business as usual for Shell retail outlets nationwide," she said in a statement.
