KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Saturday that it will end all imports of crude oil from Iran, Prime Minister Najib Razak was reported as saying by state media. The move comes as the US threatens sanctions against country who import oil from Iran. “It's (oil import from Iran) only a small amount,” official news agency Bernama quoted Najib as saying Friday. A report quoting sources from national oil company Petronas said it will stop imports of crude from Iran in April, two months before a US embargo takes effect. The south-east Asian country is estimated to import between 50,000 to 60,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude oil. Malaysia apparently bowed to the pressure from the United States and the European Union that want to punish Iran for its nuclear programs. However, European nations are still being allowed to import crude oil from Tehran, in a move that has many Malaysians frustrated over the current “double standards.” One political science student told Bikyamasr.com at a rally on Friday evening that “how can we be punished for trying to get our needs as a country met when Europe is not being penalized? I don't get it.” And neither do a lot of Malaysians. “It is absolutely wrong to punish us, the countries with less money than Europe or threaten sanctions on us while they take Iran's oil. I don't get it and they wonder why people are angry,” said Razin, also a university student. Across Malaysia, youth are becoming more agitated over the dealings of western nations toward the country and are demanding equality in relations. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/ppZKW Tags: Europe, featured, Iran, Malaysia, Oil, sanctions Section: Europe, Iran, Latest News, Southeast Asia
