Now this is bizarre. Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was reported by various newspapers to have mentioned that the subsidised price of RON 95 fuel, currently set at RM2.10 per litre, may soon be limited to “deserving Malaysians,” i.e. the poor.
As such, those deemed “undeserving” may only be eligible to use the unsubsidised RON 97 fuel instead, which is currently pegged at RM2.80 per litre. The new pricing policy may take effect as soon as May or June this year, though there’s no word yet on how it will be carried out and what constitutes “deserving Malaysians” in terms of their cars.
Adnan said that “we want to impose the increase to only those who can afford it. Someone may drive a (Toyota) Alphard or even a Mercedes but they still use RON 95 petrol. We will be implementing it now after we find a correct method of applying it.”
We wonder how this will affect the Euro 4 fuel introduction roadmap, and how diesel fuel fits into the new policy. Thoughts, anyone?
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express widespread skepticism and criticism of the government's idea to limit RON95 fuel subsidies to the poor, calling it impractical, discriminatory, and nonsensical. Many highlight the difficulty of implementation, questioning how the government will identify the poor, and worry that it will lead to black markets or unfair treatment of car owners. Some see this as another failed policy, driven by corrupt or clueless ministers, which will only hurt the rakyat and increase inequality. Others contrast Malaysia’s subsidies and prices unfavorably with neighboring countries like Thailand and Singapore. Overall, sentiments are predominantly negative, emphasizing that such measures are short-sighted, exploitative, and will exacerbate social divisions rather than help the poor.