Kedah Steps Up Border Patrols Against Fuel Abuse

The Kedah branch of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is cracking down on foreign vehicles filling up on subsidised RON95 petrol along the state’s borders. 

The move is part of ongoing efforts to prevent fuel “leakage” and ensure that subsidised petrol reaches Malaysian consumers only.

KPDN Kedah director Muhammad Nizam Jamaludin said officers have been closely monitoring petrol stations to detect any violations. 

“We also appreciate members of the public who report foreign-registered vehicles filling up,” he told Bernama, citing a recent case at a Sungai Petani petrol station where RON95 fuel was sold to foreign vehicles in violation of the rules.

In the same development, a 64-year-old Malaysian man with Singapore permanent residency was fined RM9,000 by the Magistrate’s Court for using a Singapore-registered car with a false number plate to illegally buy subsidised petrol. 

Long Sa Kow pleaded guilty to displaying a plate that masked the letters “S” and “M” to make the car look locally registered at a station on Jalan Johor Bahru-Ayer Hitam on Jan 2. Magistrate R. Salini also ruled that Long would face nine months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.

The case attracted public attention after a viral video showed the elderly couple being confronted at the petrol station. Investigations confirmed that the driver had intentionally obscured the plate to mimic a Malaysian registration number. 

Long was charged under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries fines of up to RM20,000, prison of up to five years, or both. His lawyer argued for a lower fine, noting that Long is a pensioner supporting his unemployed wife and two school-going children.