Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PDB) targets to build five petrol stations on land owned by local universities in the next 18 months.

Managing director and chief executive officer Syed Zainal Abidin said the company had allocated between RM5 million and RM10 million to build the stations.

He said PDB had decided that the Petronas stations developed within university compounds would be managed fully by the universities themselves, either through the students, management or a cooperative.

“This is among our commitments to develop the capability and confidence among university students in terms of entrepreneurship and business,” he told a media conference in Sepang yesterday after the signing of memoranda of understanding between PDB and five universities to build entrepreneurship capability among students.

The signing ceremony with Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman was witnessed by Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

"The process to develop the stations can be implemented easily, as it does not involve the purchase or ownership of land; instead it only requires dealing with the universities involved as well as the local authorities for approval,” Syed Zainal said.

He said PDB also planned to create an innovation and entrepreneur hub at the stations, a concept similar to The Place @ Ampang that was introduced at a Petronas station along Jalan Kolam Air Lama in Ampang, Selangor.

- Bernama