JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 25 — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has set up a special task force to deal with the issue of diesel subsidy leakages.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said he had ordered the taskforce, led by KPDN secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof to act immediately to prevent more leakages.
He said for the past month, the ministry has been actively carrying out enforcement operations and patrols, especially in rural areas including in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Operations are also being carried out at fishermen’s jetties where leakages could occur,” he said after the Back to School Aid handing-over ceremony at Dewan Raya Taman Bukit Indah, here today.
The Pulai member of Parliament said the ministry would mobilise its 2,100 enforcement officers and personnel to conduct operations.
Asked whether KPDN will tighten the procedure for obtaining diesel subsidies, Salahuddin said his ministry would conduct an in-depth investigation into the leakage issue before making any decision.
“We also need to work with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, which provides a diesel aid programme for fishermen,” he said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2023, said that there were leakages in the implementation of diesel subsidies when almost RM10 billion worth of diesel was misappropriated last year.
— Bernama
