System can process up to 30,000 transactions per minute, says PM
PUTRAJAYA: There should be no fear of any system failure when the new petrol subsidy initiative begins on Tuesday. The server can process up to 30,000 transactions per minute, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the enhanced server capacity for the inititative, also known as Budi95, is designed to prevent technical disruptions, like that experienced under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid programme.
“The aim is to avoid the issues we faced during the rollout of Sara. The Budi95 system has a much larger server capacity,” he said.
“Sara was originally designed for a smaller group and could process 3,000 transactions per minute; Budi95’s server can handle 10 times that capacity,” he said during the Finance Ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday.
He also urged the public not to rush to petrol stations when the system is implemented, Bernama reported.
Also present were Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying and Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.
When Sara was launched on Aug 31, system failures prevented thousands of recipients from accessing their RM100 grocery assistance. Fed up with the long wait, many just abandoned trolleys full of items in supermarkets around the country.
Anwar said the RON95 targeted subsidy reflects the government’s approach to addressing leakage and smuggling of fuel, while ensuring the continued welfare of the people.
Under Budi95, RON95 petrol will be sold at RM1.99 per litre, down from RM2.05 per litre.
All Malaysian citizens with a valid driver’s licence are eligible. It is estimated that over 16 million people will qualify for the subsidy.
The Prime Minister also dismissed claims that the implementation of Budi95 would inconvenience the public due to the requirement of producing an identity card when buying petrol.
He said the use of the identity card should not be an issue, as the initiative is designed to allow the majority of Malaysians to enjoy among the lowest petrol prices in the region.
He explained that it was implemented to ensure that only Malaysian citizens benefit, while preventing foreign nationals from accessing subsidised fuel prices.
“Otherwise, foreigners who do not pay taxes here could benefit. They are not entitled to the subsidised price,” he said.
“Non-citizens here with Malaysian-registered vehicles will still enjoy a relatively low price of RM2.60. But if the vehicle was registered outside the country, they will pay for RON97,” Anwar added.
Around 300,000 police and military personnel will begin to enjoy the RM1.99 per litre price for RON95 starting today, while recipients of the Rahmah Cash Assistance (STR) will be able to access the subsidised fuel starting tomorrow.
On another matter, Anwar said he would leave for Kota Kinabalu today to ensure several critical developments are expedited, including the plan to redevelop the Gaya Teacher Education Institute (IPG) campus, which was severely damaged by the recent landslide.
He said the extent of the damage to the campus made it difficult to repair, and the government was now considering relocating it to a new site.
