SHAH ALAM, September 24 — Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan has defended the government’s decision to extend RON95 petrol subsidies to all Malaysians regardless of income, stressing that the system will still deliver between RM2.5 billion and RM4 billion in savings.
He said the allocation of 300 litres of subsidised RON95 per month at RM1.99 per litre for every Malaysian with a valid driving licence covers more than 99% of citizens’ needs, ensuring broad protection while the government works to refine mechanisms against leakages and abuse.
“Every ringgit saved will be used in other ways to benefit the people,” he said, adding that oversight measures such as MyKad verification and data analytics would help detect unusual refuelling patterns. The government will allocate RM11 billion to maintain the subsidy, with additional safeguards to prevent misuse, including blocking suspicious transactions.
Commercial vehicles across nine public transport categories and 12 logistics segments will also enjoy subsidies, capped at RM2.05 per litre via fleet cards. Amir emphasised that while the government initially estimated up to RM8 billion in savings, the revised figure still represents a crucial step toward subsidy rationalisation.
With funds redirected to targeted aid schemes such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara). Under the new Budi95 scheme, which rolls out Sept 30, citizens can refuel as many times as needed within their quota, with higher limits available for e-hailing drivers.
Amir urged the public to be patient during the phased rollout, starting with security forces, STR recipients, and then the wider population, noting that tighter controls would be introduced over time to curb smuggling and misuse. “If we wait for a perfect system, the country will never move forward,” he said.
