KUCHING: Vehicles used by welfare and charitable organisations should be entitled to fuel subsidies given their crucial role in delivering assistance to vulnerable communities.
In calling for a review of their eligibility to diesel and RON95 fuel subsidy programmes, the Social Welfare Council of Sarawak (SWCS) said this would go a long way in helping its member organisations.
Explaining, SWCS president Datin Seri Dona Drury-Wee said member organisations were facing increasing financial pressure as vehicles used for welfare activities were required to purchase fuel at non-subsidised rates.
She stressed that the Council was not seeking special treatment or a blanket subsidy, but a fair and practical mechanism that recognised the actual use of welfare vehicles.
“These vehicles are not primarily used for commercial profit. They are essential for delivering food rations and basic necessities, transporting elderly and vulnerable persons, visiting needy families, and providing direct assistance to communities,” she said.
Drury said many welfare organisations relied heavily on donations, fundraising and public support, without a regular source of income.
“When fuel costs increase, the additional expenditure directly reduces the funds available for food, medicine, essential supplies and other assistance to those in need,” she said.
She added that some member organisations had reported additional fuel expenditure amounting to thousands, and in certain cases tens of thousands of ringgit each month, depending on the number of vehicles operated and the extent of their welfare activities.
For the period from Sept 3 to 9, the Ministry of Finance announced the subsidised price of RON95 at RM1.99 per litre, compared with RM3.77 per litre for non-subsidised fuel.
Diesel was priced at RM2.10 per litre under the subsidised rate, compared with RM4.67 per litre for non-subsidised fuel.
This translates to an additional cost of RM1.78 per litre for RON95 and RM2.57 per litre for diesel.
Drury said the additional costs could place further pressure on organisations already operating with limited resources.
She said SWCS was proposing that the government consider a special provision or appropriate subsidy mechanism for verified welfare vehicles, including Window Vans, based on their actual use and purpose rather than solely on vehicle classification.
“We believe there should be a practical way to distinguish vehicles used for genuine welfare activities from those used for commercial purposes,” she said.
She said the mechanism could be subject to proper verification, with SWCS and its member organisations prepared to provide vehicle registration details, vehicle lists, fuel usage records and evidence of welfare activities to assist authorities.
“The principle should be simple: whether a vehicle belongs to a welfare NGO, church, temple, shrine or other charitable organisation, what matters is the service it provides to the community,” she said.
Drury said SWCS hoped the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and relevant authorities would review the matter and find a practical solution to prevent rising fuel costs from reducing assistance available to vulnerable communities.
“We respectfully appeal to the government to consider the actual welfare purpose of these vehicles and the communities they serve,” she said.
