JOHOR BARU: Two cases within a week involving foreign-registered cars receiving subsidised RON95 have led to calls for the government to go after the vehicle owners as well, rather than just the petrol station operators.
The common view was that it was unfair for the operators to be the only party penalised while the vehicle owners were let off the hook.
“Since there are no penalties, these culprits will try their luck,” said a cashier at a petrol station, who only wanted to be known as Lee.
He said they were doing their best to prevent such attempts from drivers of foreign-registered vehicles.
“So far, I have not encountered such cases but I know of previous colleagues who had seen a Singaporean car owner trying to use his credit card to buy RON95 petrol,” said Lee.
On Jan 3, a man was captured on video pumping subsidised RON95 fuel into a Singapore-registered car with its registration number partially covered with black tape.
When the clip went viral, the car owner, a permanent resident of Singapore, was reported to have surrendered at the Kulai district police headquarters in Johor to assist with investigations.
Last Saturday, CCTV footage of a petrol station in Sungai Petani, Kedah, showed subsidised RON95 petrol being pumped into a foreign-registered vehicle.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry in Kedah is investigating the case.
A petrol station attendant in Johor Baru, Satria Sulaiman, said they had been keeping a close watch on all vehicles, especially those with Singapore-registered plates.
“However, some may still slip through.”
“We have been reminded often and are well aware of the consequences of failing to be vigilant.
“We pay close attention to each vehicle coming in but during peak hours, there is a possibility that we may overlook.
“It does not help that there are no penalties for those committing or attempting to cheat,” said Satria, 33, in an interview.
Lawyer Norman Fernandez said the government should urgently enact a law to complement the Control of Supplies Act to ensure that offending vehicle owners are equally liable.
