Putrajaya’s decision to use MyKad as the main method to claim RON95 petrol subsidies will allow Malaysians to be reminded of the privileges of citizenship.
In explaining the rationale behind the move, Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said the government carefully considered all options before determining the best mechanism.
“Every time Malaysians go to fill up gas now, they will look at their IC (identification card) and remember that they are getting benefits because they are citizens.
“The MyKad as a mechanism is important (as it highlights) the perks of having an IC (and) the privileges of being a Malaysian,” he told a press briefing in Shah Alam today.
Amir also pointed out that since the current blanket RON95 subsidy is enjoyed by all consumers, regardless of their nationality, Malaysian citizens do not feel “special”.
“But, now, we can use the MyKad to determine those eligible for the subsidy... we are sticking with a mechanism that will ensure subsidies go to qualified individuals,” he added.
In announcing the government’s RON95 targeted subsidy scheme, dubbed Budi95, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday said all Malaysians with a MyKad and a valid driving licence will qualify for the subsidised rates.
He also said that under the scheme, which is set to come into force in stages beginning Sept 27, all Malaysians can buy RON95 at subsidised prices up to 300 litres per month.
The exception is for e-hailing drivers who can apply for a higher ceiling.
Before the announcement, former DAP lawmaker Tony Pua had cautioned against using MyKad as the primary method to claim the subsidy, warning of security risks linked to the card’s use in public.
Misuse prevention mechanisms
Meanwhile, Amir said today that Putrajaya is working on fine-tuning mechanisms to prevent the misuse of subsidised RON95 fuel.
The minister said this is to ensure the people are not burdened with any proposed measures.
“We know that the targeted subsidy has risks of leakages, but we cannot ‘lock up’ everything as we then risk inconveniencing the rakyat, which would be impractical,” he said.
He added that one of the potential measures considered by the government includes setting a time limit for individuals qualified for the subsidy.
“Maybe we will not allow citizens to fill up on gas every 10 minutes (to avoid) them lingering at gas stations while continuously attempting to scan their MyKad.
“We might also determine a certain limit of how much petrol can be claimed from one MyKad per day. These are things that we’re still looking into,” Amir said.
In a separate statement later, the Finance Ministry clarified that the government has no plans to limit the purchase of RON95 to once a day.
It highlighted that a one-purchase-per-day limit is “clearly not aligned” with the intention behind the Budi95 programme, which is meant to ensure that the daily needs of Malaysians are met.
The ministry said this in responding to claims on such a limit, as circulated on social media platforms by certain quarters.
Earlier today, he said the government will keep track of how often individuals redeem subsidised RON95 petrol and will prevent multiple transactions from taking place on the same day. - Mkini
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