A Singaporean man in his 50s has been fined RM20,000 (US$4,900) after pleading guilty to illegally filling his Singapore-registered car with subsidised RON95 petrol at a petrol station in Johor.
Sessions Court judge Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim passed the sentence on Thursday (2nd Jul) and ordered the man to serve three months’ jail in default if the fine was not paid. The man paid the fine on the same day of his conviction.
Local media reported that the accused is the car owner and driver. News outlets New Straits Times (NST) and Astro Audio identified him as a Singaporean without naming him. The case is believed to involve the driver of a black Honda Civic, thought to be the first person arrested in Johor since new enforcement rules came into effect on 1st April.
The offence occurred on 9th April, when enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry caught the man filling his vehicle with the subsidised fuel at the petrol station.
Lilis Saslinda Pornomo, the ministry’s Johor chapter director, was cited by NST as saying that the successful prosecution underscored the ministry’s commitment to combating the misappropriation of controlled goods to protect consumer interests and ensure national supply stability.
Under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, the purchase of controlled goods such as RON95 petrol for a foreign-registered vehicle is illegal. New rules that came into force on 1st April allow authorities to take action against both the owner of a foreign-registered vehicle and the petrol station operator; previously, only petrol station operators were penalised for selling subsidised fuel to foreign-registered vehicles.
Convicted motorists face a fine of up to RM1 million, a jail term of up to three years, or both. Repeat offenders face fines of up to RM3 million, a jail term of up to five years, or both. For companies, fines can reach RM2 million, rising to RM5 million for subsequent offences.
Malaysia has long barred foreign-registered vehicles from purchasing subsidised RON95 petrol. The policy, in place since 2010, aims to ensure public funds benefit citizens. The fuel is currently priced at RM1.99 per litre for eligible Malaysians. Many Singaporeans frequently drive into Johor for fuel and shopping, but subsidised RON95 remains restricted to local vehicles under the longstanding rules, and authorities have stepped up monitoring at petrol kiosks near the border since the 1st April changes expanded liability to vehicle owners.
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