A VIRAL post on TikTok claiming the government is considering reducing the Budi95 subsidy volume from 300 litres to 200 litres has sparked outrage and debate amongst netizens.
The post, which appeared to be a legitimate news infographic, featured an image of Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.
Has the Budi95 petrol allocation been reduced to 200 litres?
Verdict:
FALSE
There has been no announcement or statement from any party or the Finance Ministry regarding any plans to reduce the Budi95 petrol subsidy volume from 300 litres to 200 litres per month.
The viral post featured an infographic-style design uploaded on the Mix Reels TikTok account, displaying an image of Johan with the quote "Current data shows 95% of Malaysians use less than 180 litres of petrol per month".
However, the post also included a headline stating "Subsidy Reduction From 300 Litres to 200 Litres May Be Considered", which triggered anger and debate amongst netizens.
The infographic also featured the logo of a popular motoring news website to make it appear as though it was a genuine news report.
Through Budi95, Malaysian citizens enjoy RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre with an eligibility ceiling of up to 300 litres per month.
According to Mycheck.my, the viral post was actually a manipulated version of a simple infographic used in a news report by an automotive news portal.
The original visual information only displayed Johan's statement quote however the TikTok account owner edited and manipulated the simple infographic by adding the headline "Subsidy Reduction From 300 Litres to 200 Litres May Be Considered".
As a result, most netizens who left comments on the TikTok post expressed their dissatisfaction with the government, believing the false news without referring to verified sources.
The Finance Ministry subsequently dismissed the claim that there were any plans to reduce the petrol subsidy volume.
The ministry also reminded the public not to be easily deceived by false claims circulating online, and instead to seek confirmation by following their official channels.
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