S’pore-registered car seen pumping RON95 at rest stop in M’sia, driver says he paid the difference
The driver of a Singapore-registered car seen pumping RON95 in Malaysia has clarified that he is Malaysian and did not know about the new rules on the sale of the subsidised petrol.
When he realised his mistake, he topped up the difference, he told Oriental Daily in an interview.
Source: Traffic Info Johor Bahru on Facebook
Mercedes seen pumping RON95 at rest stop
A photo shared on Facebook on Wednesday (27 May) showed the silver Mercedes with a Singapore licence plate in a petrol kiosk, purportedly at a rest stop in Pagoh, Johor at 3pm on Tuesday (26 May).
It was being pumped with RON95, recognisable by the yellow nozzle inserted into the car’s filler neck.
RON95 petrol is subsidised by the Malaysian Government only for Malaysia-registered vehicles.
Driver allegedly says he’s under petrol subsidy scheme for M’sians
When questioned, the driver purportedly replied “anxiously” that he was a Malaysian.
He also claimed that he was under the Budi95 scheme.
This is a subsidy for eligible Malaysian drivers, allowing them to pump RON95 for RM1.99 (S$0.64) a litre.
Source: KPDN Selangor on Facebook
Driver says system allowed him to pump RON95 when he used M’sian card
Speaking to Oriental Daily, the driver named only as Alvin said that the person who questioned him had walked away after his reply, without giving him a chance to explain further.
In fact, Alvin alleged that the incident was a misunderstanding.
The pump had prompted him to use his Malaysian credit card and tap his MyKad, and when he did so, it allowed him to pump RON95.
This led him to believe that he had not done anything wrong, he added, admitting that this was an oversight on his part.
Driver says he paid price difference
After a person had questioned him and taken a photo of him, Alvin realised that something wasn’t right, and approached the staff.
When he was told that only Malaysia-registered vehicles could pump RON95, he immediately offered to pay the price difference for RON97 petrol.
The person who recorded him was there and had seen him settling the bill, but chose not to mention this in his post, Alvin claimed.
As the staff could not issue a physical receipt for his payment, he took photos of the calculations and subsequently filed a report at a police station, he said.
Source: Oriental Daily
After listening to his explanation and confirming that he had paid the price difference, the police deemed it a misunderstanding, and there was no need to make a report with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living (KPDN).
Driver says he didn’t know the new rules
Alvin, who works in Singapore and whose wife is Singaporean, said this was the first time he had returned to Malaysia since September last year.
Thus, he had not updated himself on the latest rules for pumping RON95.
Under Malaysia’s Control of Supplies Regulations (Prohibition on the Sale and Purchase of Controlled Goods) (Petrol RON95) 2026, which came into effect on 1 April, it is an offence for petrol stations to sell RON95 to foreign-registered vehicles.
The new regulations also extend enforcement action to individuals who buy subsidised fuel, meaning drivers of foreign-registered vehicles may be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to RM1 million (S$321,000).
Incident has led to online backlash, says driver
Alvin said the post, which did not blur out his licence plate number or his face, has resulted in online vitriol being directed towards him.
As the car is under his wife’s name, he’s now concerned about his family’s safety.
His family in Malaysia has suffered immense pressure from the incident and even his boss had asked him to clarify the matter, he added.
He pointed out that although he made a mistake, he paid the difference on the spot, and lamented how netizens could only point fingers without giving them a chance to explain or make amends.
He also hoped that other Malaysians living in Singapore would pay attention to new rules implemented in Malaysia to avoid similar misunderstandings.
Also read: Woman refuels S’pore-registered vehicle with RON95 in M’sia, claims she ‘did not know’ when confronted
Woman refuels S’pore-registered vehicle with RON95 in M’sia, claims she ‘did not know’ when confronted
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Featured image adapted from Traffic Info Johor Bahru on Facebook.
Driver of S’pore-registered car seen pumping RON95 says he’s M’sian, didn’t know new rules
