BINTULU: Malaysians across the country will enjoy a subsidised diesel price of RM2.10 per litre from July through a new verification system using the MyKad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the initiative would see the existing subsidised price in Sabah and Sarawak reduced from RM2.15 to RM2.10 per litre.
It will also take effect in the peninsula where diesel is presently sold at an unsubsidised price of RM4.37 per litre.
“The implementation of this mechanism is aimed at ensuring subsidies reach the eligible groups as well as curbing leakages and smuggling activities that cause the country to lose billions of ringgit every year.
“We ensure first that diesel price is reduced from RM2.15 per litre to RM2.10. This is for everyone and the benefit is certainly greater for the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
He said this during the cheque handover ceremony marking the transfer of Bintulu Port from federal to state ownership held at Menara Kidurong, Bintulu Port Authority here today.
Anwar said the government is introducing the MyKad-based verification system to ensure only Malaysian citizens are eligible for subsidised fuel, while addressing long-standing issues of smuggling and misuse, particularly along border areas.
“If asked why MyKad, the leakage and smuggling are too high at the borders from Kelantan or Kedah to Thailand and the Sabah-Sarawak borders,” he said.
“So, we can avoid it, and we thank the leadership of Sarawak and Sabah as they have responded positively.”
He said the decision followed detailed discussions with leaders from Sabah and Sarawak, noting differences in fuel consumption patterns between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.
“The implementation of targeted diesel subsidies in the peninsula was slowed because diesel consumption in Sabah and Sarawak is higher,” he explained.
Anwar added that the government’s approach is designed to ensure fairness while maintaining fiscal sustainability amid global economic uncertainties.
He said further details on the implementation of the diesel subsidy will be announced by Finance Minister II, Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, tomorrow (Monday, June 22).
