Fuel-lish act: Singapore car owner slammed for buying subsidised petrol in Johor
The issue of Singapore-registered car owners who have pumped subsidised petrol across the Causeway is a sore point for Malaysians
An incident involving a Singapore-registered car owner who is seen filling up a plastic container with subsidised petrol in Malaysia on social media has prompted Malaysian authorities to launch an investigation.
The driver of the Mini Cooper with Singapore number plates was spotted at the Caltex Nusa Sentral station in Johor state on Sunday, filling up his car with RON 95-grade petrol and pumping it into a container for tapau, a colloquial term meaning a takeaway, according to one post on SG Road Vigilante.
RON 95 is a subsidised grade of petrol available for sale only to Malaysian-registered vehicles. It costs 2.05 ringgit (48 US cents) per litre (1⁄4 gallon), which is about five times lower than the price of similar-grade fuel in Singapore, according to Singapore news sites.
Online users have derided the driver in the post for being a cheapskate.
One user said: “As a Singaporean, I really feel totally embarrassed by this stupid [fellow] who can afford a Mini Cooper and yet pump RON 95.”
Others have tagged the official pages of the police on both sides of the Causeway, as well as Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority in their comments.
On Monday, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Johor confirmed it had launched an investigation.
“The Johor KPDN is aware of photos circulating of a foreign vehicle believed to be owned by a Singaporean citizen being filled with RON 95 fuel at a petrol station in Johor Bahru. A detailed investigation is being conducted to identify the location of the petrol station involved and whether there was a violation of existing regulations,” said the ministry’s director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo on Monday, according to the Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian.
“If the investigation finds that an offence has been committed, appropriate action will be taken against the parties involved, including the petrol station operator if found to be negligent or abetting.”
She stressed that the sale of RON 95-grade petrol to foreign-registered vehicles had been strictly prohibited under Malaysian law since August 2010.
On Tuesday, the KPDN posted on social media that its officers had since located the owner of the petrol station, viewed the security footage and obtained the sale receipt. “Johor KPDN has met with the station owner and issued a stern warning to remain vigilant to ensure such incidents do not recur. A case has been opened under the Control of Supplies Act 1961,” the post added.
Those found guilty under the Act could face a fine of up to 1 million ringgit (US$236,500), a maximum of three years in jail, or both, the Malay Mail newspaper reported. The maximum penalty increases to a fine of 3 million ringgit or five years’ jail, or both, for subsequent offences. Companies can be fined up to 2 million ringgit for first-time offenders, or up to 5 million ringgit for repeat offenders.
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Singaporeans pumping subsidised petrol have become a flashpoint with Malaysians, especially those living in Johor, which is just across the Causeway from Singapore.
On Tuesday, the Malaysian finance ministry said that detailed implementation plans for buying the subsidised petrol would be announced by the end of September, according to the Bernama news agency.
When implemented, it would allow eligible Malaysians to buy RON 95 petrol at 1.99 ringgit per litre by producing their MyKad national identity card. Foreigners and those ineligible for the subsidy will pay the market rate.
