PUTRAJAYA, July 4 — Targeted diesel subsidies, implemented June 10, have seen diesel confiscations lower by 87 per cent, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
He said this downtrend was based on a comparison in the 20-day period before and after the implementation of the targeted subsidy.
Armizan said between May 20 and June 9, there 65 cases of diesel (520,803 litres) were seized, while between June 10 and 30 — 20 days after the targeted diesel subsidy was implemented — there were only 14 cases (68,457 litres).
“The number of people arrested in the subsidised diesel cases dropped in the June 10-30 period, from 40 people to just one person,” he said in a statement today.
Effective June 10, the government had set the retail price of diesel at RM3.35 per litre at all fuel stations in Peninsular Malaysia, while diesel in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan remains at RM2.15 per litre.
However, Armizan said, there is an increase in confiscations of RON95 at 37 cases (17,064 litres) between May 20 and June 9, compared with 46 cases (14,011 litres) after the implementation of diesel subsidy targeting.
He said arrests increased from 10 to 17 people in the June 10-30 period.
To combat these activities, he said his team will continue to improve enforcement and monitoring on the misappropriation of controlled goods under Ops Tiris 3.0.
“Close cooperation with other enforcement agencies is also being held to tackle leakages comprehensively and effectively,” he said.
— Bernama
