M'sia petrol dealers call for fines for foreign vehicles that buy subsidised RON95 fuel

Petrol dealers in Malaysia are calling for foreign vehicles who purchase RON95 fuel to be penalised.

Under current legislation, the sale of the heavily-subsidised fuel to foreigners is prohibited — but it is the petrol station operators, not the buyers, who receive penalties.

In response, the Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) has called for the offenders to also be held culpable, according to The Star.

A spokesperson from PDAM said that it was difficult for petrol dealers to keep watch on foreign cars.

He pointed out that the number plates of Singapore-registered vehicles are similar to those from Sabah, which makes it difficult to identify vehicles as being foreign.

"It is unfair to penalise petrol station dealers. The dealers do not want to sell RON95 to foreigners. The profit margin in such transactions is minimal, so it’s not practical or worthwhile to break the law," he said.

He added that as long as buyers are not penalised, they will "keep trying".

Suggestions for attendants to be stationed at each pump to monitor foreign vehicles are also untenable as this would lead to increased costs, he said.

Illegal purchases

Although the sale of subsidised RON95 petrol was outlawed in June 2022, reports of Singaporeans trying their luck have emerged from time to time.

In 2024, a man was caught filling a Singapore-registered car at a petrol station in Malacca. He was caught and reprimanded by a member of public, but simply settled his bill and left.

On Jan. 21, another Singapore-registered car was caught refuelling with RON95 at a petrol station in Johor Bahru.

A video of the incident subsequently went viral, prompting the authorities to investigate, reported The Star.

Stepped up enforcement during CNY period

In advance of Chinese New Year, the Johor government announced on Jan. 25 that it would step up enforcement measures during the festive season to curb the sale of subsidised petrol to foreign vehicles.

200 enforcement officers were deployed to conduct checks, especially at petrol kiosks near Johor-Singapore Causeway and Second Link, said a ministry spokesperson.

She added that petrol station owners should be vigilant to ensure no foreign-registered vehicles use RON95 petrol, and deploy attendants at each pump to "ensure compliance with Malaysian law".

She also urged members of the public to report irresponsible sellers and petrol station owners to the authorities.

Top image from @_shahrahim_/TikTok and The Star