It’s just a few days until Chinese New Year.
With the long holiday ahead (especially for those taking leave on Friday), many Singaporeans are preparing to balik kampung to visit their families.
For others who may not celebrate the occasion, it’s an opportunity to visit Malaysia for some makan makan.
In anticipation of the influx of Singaporean tourists entering Johor by land with their Singapore-registered vehicles, the state’s Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has reminded petrol stations to ensure these vehicles do not fill up using subsidised RON95 petrol.
Why? It’s to prevent the sale of subsidised RON95 petrol to foreign vehicles.
State ministry director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo issued this reminder after a Singapore-registered car was caught refuelling with RON95 at a petrol station in Johor Baru last Tuesday (21 January 2025).
But that’s not all.
They will also deploy 200 enforcement officers during the festive season to conduct frequent checks at petrol kiosks across the state.
Lilis specifically mentioned to The Star, a Malaysian-based publication, that more officers will be deployed at the kiosks near the Johor-Singapore Causeway and Second Link.
Foreign Vehicle Caught Pumping RON95 Petrol
This investigation and strict checks come after a video of a foreign vehicle pumping RON95 petrol went viral on social media.
A woman driving a Singapore-registered vehicle was caught allegedly refuelling with subsidised RON95 petrol at Taman Pelangi in Johor Bahru.
The video captioned “patut la parking pam hujung” suggested there might be a hidden agenda as to why the vehicle owner chose a pump away from the cashier to avoid getting caught.
@_shahrahim_ #foryou #foryoupage #fyp ♬ bunyi asal – Ammar Qayyum
Unfortunately, she not only got caught red-handed but also became viral on social media.
The 9-second TikTok video has since garnered over one million views and 130,000 likes.
The woman was trying to use a debit card to pay for fuel before a petrol station worker noticed the type of petrol being pumped and immediately stopped the refuelling.
Lilis told the New Straits Times that authorities have evidence the woman managed to refuel less than one litre, worth about RM1, before being stopped.
She then refuelled with RON97, which is designated for foreign-registered vehicles in Malaysia.
This prompted the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to launch an immediate investigation.
When asked about recommendations for foreign-registered vehicles to use cash instead of credit or debit cards to prevent misuse of RON95 petrol, Lilis clarified that there is currently no official order requiring cash payments.
RON95 Petrol Only Available for Sale to Malaysia-Registered Vehicles
As much as Singaporeans enjoy visiting JB to maximise their Singaporean dollars, with the significantly lower cost of petrol in JB, RON95 petrol is off-limits for foreign vehicles.
The RON95 fuel type is partially subsidised by the Malaysian government and is exclusively available for sale to Malaysia-registered vehicles.
Lilis informed The Star that the ministry can take action against petrol station owners who allow foreign vehicles to use RON95 and sellers who do not adhere to the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme.
The Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme aims to regulate maximum prices of certain goods during festive periods to ensure affordable access to essential items.
Therefore, petrol station owners bear the responsibility to prevent such incidents by taking proactive measures, including assigning staff to monitor and prevent foreign-registered vehicles from refuelling with RON95, especially during the festive season.
Since 2010, the sale of subsidised petrol to foreign-registered vehicles has been prohibited under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
Petrol kiosk operators found guilty of breaching this law face fines of up to RM1 million (US$228,425) for the first offence and up to RM3 million or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, for subsequent offences.
So, if you thought you could break the rules and be sneaky, think again before you get caught by one of the 200 officers this festive season.
If you watch at least 10 minutes of brain rot content daily, you must know this:
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