The Ministry of Domestic Trade (KPDN) is considering amending the law to address the abuse of the RON95 petrol subsidy. Among the things being discussed is preventing the use of foreign credit and debit cards at petrol pumps to prevent foreigners from buying subsidized RON95. Also being considered is enforcing stricter action against traders or individuals who abuse the subsidy.
Discussions are still at an early stage and involve collaboration with various agencies to ensure effective implementation. The Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) initiative was launched in September last year, targeting fuel subsidies for all eligible Malaysian citizens. Through it, RON95 petrol can be purchased at RM1.99/litre and RM2.54/litre without subsidy. Foreign vehicles are only allowed to buy RON petrol at RM3.10/litre.
Since its introduction, there have been several incidents of foreign vehicles buying RON95 because payments were made using cards at the pump.
