PUTRAJAYA: Only about 170 petrol stations in border areas have been identified as high-risk sites for subsidised fuel leakage out of more than 4,000 nationwide, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
As such, he said, enforcement and monitoring will be focused on these stations rather than the entire network.
"First, we define the scope of duties, which laws apply and which teams are needed. We must work smart. We are not looking to monitor 4,000 petrol stations, but to focus on the 170," he said at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here on Monday (April 13).
He added that the restructuring of enforcement operations will be carried out in phases with clear SOPs, focusing on a more targeted approach rather than blanket monitoring.
He added that a data-driven enforcement approach through information sharing involving the Finance Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry would make enforcement more targeted and reduce the burden on personnel on the ground.
“I propose that accurate information on sales volume at each petrol station be obtained from these ministries. If the sales figures are unusually high and do not make sense, we will zoom in and increase monitoring," he said.
Saifuddin Nasution said that previously, monitoring petrol stations did not fall directly under police jurisdiction, but current developments require the involvement of multiple agencies.
"There was enforcement (under the Domestic Trade Ministry) but now petrol stations have become one of the gateways for smuggling activities," he said.
Earlier, the government called for enhanced enforcement and monitoring at petrol stations, particularly in border areas, following a Cabinet decision to curb leakages and fuel smuggling.
Saifuddin Nasution was previously reported to have directed the Inspector-General of Police to deploy personnel at petrol stations nationwide in border areas.
