Petronas, together with the domestic trade and cost of living ministry (KPDN), is reminding everyone that subsidised RON 95 petrol is only for Malaysian citizens and vehicles registered in Malaysia. This is one of several rules put in place when it comes to the sale of fuels in Malaysia. The main one is that owners of foreign-registered vehicles, including motorcycles, are strictly not allowed to purchase RON 95 petrol, which is a rule that has been put in place since October 1, 2020. On a related note, there is also a ban on the sale of RON 95 petrol to all foreign-registered vehicles since June 17, 2022. To reinforce these rules, enforcement of the ban on the purchase of RON 95 by owners of foreign-registered vehicles took effect from April 1 this year, allowing action to be taken against owners of foreign-registered vehicles caught purchasing RON 95 petrol. Put simply, RON 95 petrol, subsidised or not, cannot be purchased for a foreign-registered vehicle, regardless if the owner is Malaysian or not. If the number plate is foreign, the vehicle can only be refuelled with RON 97 or RON 100 petrol. To further curb potential RON 95 leakages, the use of foreign credit and debit cards is no longer allowed at pump terminals since April 1, 2026. Holders of such cards will be required to go to the counter if they want to purchase fuel, which enables petrol station workers to verify that the purchase is not for a foreign-registered vehicle. On the flipside, owners of Malaysian-registered vehicles can purchase RON 95 petrol, albeit with caveats. Only Malaysian citizens with a valid MyKad and local driving licence have access to subsidised RON 95 petrol through the Budi Madani RON 95 (Budi95) programme, while foreigners will pay the unsubsidised price for the fuel. This is why there are two prices quoted for RON 95 petrol. There is also a rojak scenario where a Malaysian has a MyKad but not a Malaysian driving licence. This does happen as some might be of Malaysian citizenship but hold a Singapore driving licence for work purposes. In this case, such individuals can still be entitled to Budi95 once they have applied for the programme through a special website (www.BUDI95lesenSG.jpj.gov.my). Even so, the overarching rule that only Malaysian-registered vehicles can be refuelled with RON 95 petrol applies. As such, you could have a Singapore driving licence and even permanent residence status and still be able to fuel up your Malaysian-registered vehicle, so long as you are legally a Malaysian citizen and applied for the special Budi95 status mentioned above. What about diesel? Well, the prices of diesel fuels are already floated in Malaysia, with subsidised prices only available through the Subsidised Diesel Control Scheme (SKDS) programme. Foreign-registered vehicles can therefore fuel up on diesel in Malaysia but again, there are caveats. A limit of 20 litres per day can only be purchased within a 50 km radius of the Thailand and Singapore borders of Peninsular Malaysia, while it is a 30 km radius of the Brunei or Indonesia borders in Sabah and Sarawak, as stated by KPDN minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali in a NST report. Foreign nationals can purchase the necessary diesel for their vehicles beyond these radii. Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro. Use the promo code 'PAULTAN' when you checkout for 10% discount!
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