KOTA KINABALU: The monthly subsidised diesel quota for rural areas in Sabah should be increased from 200 litres to 500 litres to meet the needs of long-distance travel, particularly in the state’s interior, the Sabah State Legislative Assembly was told today.
Datuk Masiung Banah (GRS-Kuamut) said the current 200-litre quota is insufficient for rural areas such as Kuamut, where residents and elected representatives must travel for hours to reach urban centres to attend to various matters.
“The diesel subsidy, which has been capped at 200 litres, is not enough for my constituency. A round trip from Kuamut to Kota Kinabalu takes six to seven hours.
“I don’t have the exact distance in kilometres, but what is certain is that 200 litres would already be used up on a single return journey between Kuamut and Kota Kinabalu. That’s just one round trip, yet we are only allocated 200 litres for an entire month,” he said.
Masiung, who chairs the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Backbenchers Group, said this during the winding-up debate of the Supplementary Supply Bill 2026 at the state assembly sitting here today.
He said the implementation of the targeted diesel subsidy should take into account the different circumstances between urban and rural areas, particularly in terms of travel distance, terrain and area size.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s challenges in restructuring fuel subsidies for the benefit of the country and its people, he said the needs of rural communities must not be overlooked.
“I appeal to the Federal Government; I understand that the state government has already established a monitoring committee for diesel and petrol subsidies.
“I urge the secretariat formed by the state government to consider this matter. I believe rural areas should have their quota increased from 200 litres to 500 litres,” he said.
The BUDI Diesel programme was implemented nationwide from July 1, under which eligible private diesel vehicle owners receive a basic subsidised quota of 200 litres per month at RM2.10 per litre.
Eligible owners of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks may also apply for an additional 100 litres per month.
— BERNAMA
