RON95 fuel to get cheaper for Malaysians from Sept 30

Foreigners not eligible for lower rate; new pricing removes blanket subsidy for petrol

- Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent and Harith Mustaffa

Malaysians will soon enjoy cheaper RON95 fuel at the pumps, a benefit not afforded to foreigners, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim aims to plug fuel subsidy leakages and redirect savings towards financial aid, healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Under the new pricing effective from Sept 30 that removes the blanket subsidy for petrol, Malaysians can pay for the popular RON95 petrol using their national identity card, called MyKad, at RM1.99 (60 Singapore cents) a litre, compared with RM2.05 a litre currently.

Foreigners driving Malaysian-registered cars will have to pay the market price for RON95 of around RM2.60 a litre. Drivers of foreign-registered vehicles - including those from neighbouring Singapore - will continue to be allowed to purchase only the premium RON97 grade at around RM3.21 a litre.

Datuk Seri Anwar, who is also Malaysia’s Finance Minister, said on Sept 22 that RON95 will be enjoyed by all Malaysians, regardless of income level.

He also said the Malaysian government had set a monthly limit of 300 litres of subsidised RON95 for eligible individuals, but this would not apply to e-hailing drivers who could apply for a higher ceiling.