Fine up to RM1 million, or 3 years’ jail, or both if convicted: Another SG-registered car caught refuelling RON95 in Johor under investigation

MALAYSIA: A petrol station in Eco Botani, Iskandar Puteri, is under investigation after a Singapore-registered vehicle was caught refuelling with subsidised RON95 petrol on Feb 1.

Johor’s Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry launched a probe after images of the incident circulated online. The photos showed a foreign-registered Honda Spada pumping fuel at the station. One of which was posted first by SGRV FRONT MAN, a Facebook group that tracks Singapore-registered vehicles in Malaysia, which shared the image.

Johor Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry Lilis Saslinda Pornomo said officers reviewed the station’s CCTV footage soon after these images went viral. “Based on the review, we found that a Honda Spada bearing foreign registration plates refuelled at the station at 3:05 p.m.,” she said, New Straits Times (NST) reports.

Checks on receipts and transaction records confirmed the fuel dispensed was RON95. This fuel type is strictly reserved for Malaysian-registered vehicles. Therefore, a case has been opened under Subregulation 12A of the Supply Control Regulations 1974. The regulation bars the sale of RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles. Investigations are being carried out under the Supply Control Act 1961.

If convicted, individual offenders face fines of up to RM1 million (S$323,419), jail terms of up to three years, or both. Repeat offences carry heavier penalties of up to RM3 million or up to five years’ imprisonment, while companies can be fined up to RM2 million, rising to RM5 million for repeat cases.

Malaysia bans the sale of RON95 to foreign vehicles because the fuel is subsidised by the government. The subsidy is meant to benefit Malaysians and help manage living costs. In Johor, the price gap with Singapore has long made enforcement a sensitive issue.

The incident has renewed public concern over fuel subsidy leakages near the border. It also highlights the ongoing enforcement challenge as cross-border traffic remains high.

Read related: Foreign drivers who pump RON95 in Malaysia may face penalties from April 1