Singapore-registered Lexus SUV driver speeds off without paying for RON97 at Johor Bahru station; staff forced to bear the full tank cost

MALAYSIA: A Johor Bahru petrol station operator is urging a couple to return and settle their bill after they filled their Singapore-registered Lexus SUV with RON97 fuel amounting to RM139.01 (S$44.5). After filling the vehicle, the occupants sped off without settling the bill. There was no upfront payment at the petrol station.

The incident happened earlier this week at a Caltex station along the Skudai Highway rest area, according to New Straits Times.

The operator said the unpaid amount may fall on the staff member who handled the refuelling. That detail struck a nerve online, shifting attention from the sum to who bears the loss.

A female employee told China Press that the male driver asked for a full tank on arrival. While the car was being refuelled, a woman from the SUV went into the convenience store. After finishing her purchase, she returned to the vehicle. The male driver then drove off without stopping to pay.

“As the staff outside were busy at the time, it took a while before we realised they had left without paying. We tried to chase after the vehicle but failed,” the female employee said. She added that other motorists honked to alert the couple, but the SUV did not stop.

Drive-offs are not new, but this case drew attention for its cross-border angle. It also highlights how frontline workers can end up carrying financial risk for others’ actions. The station operator hopes the couple will return to settle the amount and close the matter as soon as possible.