After two long years, we can now drive from Singapore to Malaysia again. With travel finally resuming, a somewhat problematic trend of Singaporean drivers has also re-emerged — pumping petrol in questionable ways.
On a more serious note, Singaporeans should also note that it is illegal for foreign drivers to pump RON95, a cheaper version of fuel.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has called out one such driver in a Facebook post. The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry in Malaysia will also clamp down on errant petrol companies.
The sale of subsidised petrol to foreign vehicles will be stopped, and offenders will be charged a fine of up to ~S$321,788 (RM1 million).
Over the weekend, Singaporean drivers were caught pumping their cars with RON95 fuel. They were called out on Facebook by SG Road Vigilante (SGRV).
Mr Najib also highlighted this troubling habit on Facebook. In a post on 3 Apr, he criticised a Singaporean driver for pumping his vehicle with RON95 fuel.
Within the caption, he states that the highly-subsidised fuel is one of the cheapest in the world, priced at RM2.05 per litre.
It is illegal for this fuel to be sold to foreigners, in accordance with the Control of Supplies Act.
On the other hand, RON97 can be sold to foreign drivers. It is costlier than RON95 fuel, primarily due to taxation in neighbouring countries reducing its price in Malaysia.
The sale of such cheap fuel to foreign drivers hurts the Malaysian economy. In the post, Mr Najib notes that foreigners pumping RON95 fuel would cause the government to lose a significant amount of the people’s money.
Mr Najib has thus called for more close monitoring of the sale of RON95 fuel to foreigners.
He urges petrol stations and Malaysian authorities to conduct more thorough checks to ensure a lower frequency of such situations.
According to New Straits Times (NST), Malaysian authorities have decided to take swift action against offenders illegally pumping RON95 fuel.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi has called for an investigation into the incident posted by Mr Najib.
Offenders found guilty will face a fine of up to ~S$321,788 (RM1 million), three years’ jail, or both.
Mr Alexander has also ordered more aggressive monitoring at all petrol stations and a ban on the sale of RON95 fuel to foreign vehicles.
State agencies at the borders of both Singapore and Thailand will also increase monitoring and inspection.
It can be tempting to opt for cheaper alternatives. However, the Malaysian government has implemented these regulations for a reason. Flouting them does not show us in a good light.
We should do our utmost to respect the regulations imposed by foreign countries, especially when under their jurisdiction.
Hopefully, more Singaporean drivers will know better and refrain from pumping RON95 in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Najib Razak on Facebook and New Straits Times.
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