Fishermen caught selling diesel to neighbouring countries; netizens think they are traitors

 

THE SHOCKWAVES of the war in the middle east have travelled far, reshaping prices, supply chains and, ultimately, the daily lives of ordinary people across the globe. For countries like Malaysia, this is no different. 

Diesel is heavily subsidised due to its importance in logistics, agriculture and fisheries. But herein lies the problem. When domestic fuel is priced significantly lower than in neighbouring countries, it creates an opportunity for arbitrage.

And when there are opportunities, there are people who exploit it, take for example, our local fishermen who are selling diesel to Thailand. Netizen @tjerealjoker pointed this out in a post on X, stating that they were selling diesel at a price of RM1.65.

The online community was alarmed by this development, labeling these fishermen the traitors of the nation. 

“Please withdraw the diesel subsidy for the east coast fishermen for now,” said @PemburuLembu while @BilliBear3 chose violence to solve the problem.

However, @MrSalahuddin said this has already been happening for a long time. According to him, these smugglers earn not only money, but women too.

Then there was @hakimbinasrar suggesting the price of diesel be raised to RM20 per litre instead.

Separately, Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat revealed that diesel smuggling operations have shifted offshore, with syndicates now sourcing subsidised fuel directly from local fishermen at sea. 

The fuel is then resold to fishermen from Thailand and Vietnam. He noted that in the past, smugglers typically obtained diesel from petrol stations near the border, but enforcement pressure has pushed them to adapt their methods. 

According to him, the large price disparity is a key driver, subsidised diesel for local fishermen costs around RM1.65 per litre, while market prices hover at about RM6.72, creating a margin of over RM5 per litre. — Focus Malaysia