since 1976
since 1976
SHELL Malaysia is doing its best to stay ahead of culprits who try to sell inferior lubricants carrying its name. The reason is obvious; those who buy these inferior products carrying the Shell name (usually at cheaper prices) would run into engine problems subsequently and the blame falls on Shell through no fault of its own.
Apparently, this shady business of selling non-genuine products under established brand names is being stepped up in Malaysia. The recent fatal alcohol poisoning cases certainly reflected this in a very poor light and it also explains why Malaysia has fallen down the global ranks in addressing such problems, as revealed by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Dato’ Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at the Shell Helix launch event.
Shell Malaysia’s attempts at addressing the problem saw to the launch of its ‘Made in Malaysia’ Shell Helix range. This comprises five products; Shell Helix Ultra 5W 40, Shell Helix HX7 10W 40, Shell Helix HX7 5W 30, Shell Helix HX 5 10W 30 and Shell Helix HX5 14W 40. All of them, except Helix HX5 10W 30 are in four-litre packs. The odd product comes in a three-litre pack.
These five Helix products are now blended and packed at Shell’s Lubricant Oil Blending Plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. These lubricants were previously brought in from Shell blending plants in the region.
By having these products blended locally, Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd Managing Director Shairan Huzani Hussain said they were tailored to operate and function according to the Malaysian automotive conditions. There is, however, no change in prices despite them being blended locally.
To give these ‘Made in Malaysia’ Shell Helix products a distinctive touch, the new front label could be peeled to reveal a unique QR code for quick product authentication. This is only done for the Malaysian market. The label at the back carries product information in English and Bahasa Malaysia.
Shell Malaysa Trading says the QR code also enables easy registration for the Shell Advantage Rewards (SHARE) programme. Goodies that the consumer could enjoy include a sign-up bonus, Shell Helix Engine Warranty and free Shell Helix products. Shairan Huzani said the fourth successive Shell Helix oil change would be ‘on the house’ based on the terms and conditions that were applied.
He explained that this move was a strategic investment by the company to protect the interests of car owners and trade partners by ‘enabling them to clearly identify official genuine products. The presence of counterfeit and unauthorised products in the market is affecting customer confidence and negatively impacting our trade partners’ businesses.”
Shairan Huzani added: “The decision to commence local production of official genuine Shell Helix products meant exclusively for the Malaysian market and clearly identify them with the new ‘Made in Malaysia’ labels is a key step to address this issue.” These products, he said, carry the same formulation and local consumers could expect the same high level of engine performance in extreme driving conditions.
The introduction of ‘Made in Malaysia’ Shell Helix range is on-going and is expected to be completed by January 2019. During this transition period, the official genuine Shell Helix products with the old labels would still be on sale and its authenticity could be verified through the unique product code on the label.
Of course, what is fully recommended is that consumers buy these official genuine Shell Helix engine oils for the Malaysian market from Shell Helix-branded workshops, selected workshops served by authorised Shell distributors and Shell retail stations. The products are also available online at Lazada Malaysia, 11street and Shopee via Shell Malaysia’s official online stores.
