JOHOR BARU – The government is trying to identify a suitable location for a non-subsidised petrol station in Johor Baru district, said the domestic trade and cost of living minister.
Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said his ministry was carrying out a study on the matter, given that Johor borders Singapore and many vehicles from the republic fill their tanks in Johor Baru.
“The pilot project of opening two (such) petrol stations in Padang Besar and Wang Kelian, Perlis, has helped to save nearly RM6 million in the government’s fuel subsidy allocation.
“In Johor Baru, we are doing a detailed study and if there is a suitable place, we will open it to prevent or minimise the purchase of subsidised petrol (by owners of foreign-registered vehicles),” he told reporters after the Rahmah ITTV e-Learning launch ceremony in Kempas here yesterday.
On May 18, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ministry was in the final stages of finalising the implementation of non-subsidised petrol stations in several other states after the pilot project was implemented in Perlis.
Salahuddin also issued a reminder that foreign-registered vehicles are not allowed to fill up on subsidised petrol, RON95, and this includes buying the fuel in containers as the petrol subsidy is only to be enjoyed by Malaysians.
“In relation to a video that went viral involving a Singaporean who wanted to buy petrol, the CCTV footage showed the intended buyer was not able to do so. The Singaporean said the fuel was to be used in a go-kart ... I am waiting for a report from the Johor Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. If the petrol station owner committed an offence, the owner can be prosecuted according to the law,” he said.
Yesterday, Iskandar Puteri district police chief Rahmat Ariffin said police had opened an investigation paper in connection with a case of an altercation involving a food delivery rider and two non-citizen men at a petrol station in Iskandar Puteri on June 16. – Bernama, June 25, 2023
