KOTA KINABALU: Mobile counter services should be expanded across Sabah and Sarawak to ensure eligible recipients are not left out of the improved Budi Diesel subsidy programme, says Datuk Mustapha Sakmud (pic).
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) said the initiative should involve local leaders, district offices, the Finance Ministry and other relevant agencies.
He said stronger ground-level outreach was particularly important given the geographical challenges in Sabah and Sarawak, where online data alone may not be sufficient to identify and reach eligible recipients.
“Grassroots leaders are those closest to the people on the ground. They know who is who, where they are and who is eligible,” he said.
Mustapha said those living in areas with limited telecommunications coverage needed to be reached through more hands-on efforts.
“This way, we can reduce the number of people who are left out of the improved diesel subsidy simply because they did not receive the latest information, do not understand the procedures or face difficulties with digital access,” he said.
He said the improvements to the Budi Diesel initiative, including greater flexibility in transferring diesel quotas, would only achieve their intended purpose if backed by strong groundwork and effective grassroots networks.
Mustapha also welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of the improvements during the Malaysia Day celebration in Sarawak, describing it as a sign of the federal government’s commitment to addressing the people’s concerns.
He said the move showed that the government was listening to the people and was prepared to improve the system to better meet their needs.
On Wednesday (Sept 16), Anwar announced that subsidised diesel quotas could now be transferred to any eligible Malaysian citizen instead of being limited to immediate family members.
Registered owners of more than one diesel vehicle can also transfer the quota allocated to each vehicle, up to a maximum of three vehicles.
