Talks with the head of a major global oil giant and the Malaysian prime minister will dominate the final official day of Anthony Albanese's south-east Asian fuel security tour, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur.
With a hint of rain hanging in the air after a heavy downpour, Mr Albanese was greeted on Tuesday evening by a white-suited military honour guard as he stepped down the stairs of a RAAF aircraft.
He was met on the tarmac by Malaysia's minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup and a string of other officials before being whisked away in a motorcade.
A small crowd gathered to watch Mr Albanese arrive at his hotel in Kuala Lumpur's city centre, including one man in a Rabbitohs jersey who shook the prime minister's hand.
Malaysia supplies 14 per cent of Australia's diesel, 10 per cent of its petrol and 11 per cent of its jet fuel, and is also the nation's largest provider of crude oil.
The prime minister will seek to leverage Australia's position as Malaysia's dominant supplier of liquefied natural gas to secure guarantees about long-term fuel shipments if the Middle East war continues causing chaos for global trade.
Mr Albanese will sit down with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday, along with senior executives from Petronas, one of Asia's biggest oil producers and refiners.
Malaysia also imports hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Russian oil and fuel each year, some of which is sold on to Australia.
Ukraine has called for a total ban on the use of Russian oil.
The talks follow a 24-hour visit to Brunei Darussalam during which Mr Albanese received a guarantee the tiny sultanate was not considering restricting the amount of fuel or fertiliser shipped to Australia.
In exchange, Australia - which is Brunei's largest trading partner - will continue to provide crucial food shipments.
Brunei supplies around 11 per cent of Australia's fertiliser. In 2024, Australia supplied around three-quarters of the Brunei's meat imports.
During a meeting at Brunei's Royal Palace, both Mr Albanese and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah expressed "deep concern" over the war in the Middle East and pledged to strengthen energy supply chains and maintain open trade flows.
"Australia has always been a trusted friend and partner. Over the years, our relations have continued to prosper," the monarch told Mr Albanese during their bilateral meeting.
