The Johor state government has renewed calls for the federal administration to tighten existing laws to enable direct action against owners of foreign-registered vehicles caught purchasing subsidised RON95 petrol.

According to NST, Johor’s Investment, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources executive committee chairman, Lee Ting Han, stated that the proposal had been put forward to the federal government four months ago. He explained that under current regulations, enforcement measures can only be taken against petrol station operators, leaving foreign motorists who breach the rules largely untouched by legal consequences.

Lee stated that the state government intends to persist in lobbying for an amendment that would grant officers from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry the authority to penalise offenders directly. He stressed that such changes are necessary to protect national resources and ensure compliance with Malaysian law.

The issue resurfaced after two recent incidents in Johor, where foreign-registered vehicles were seen refuelling with RON95. One occurred at a petrol station in Nusa Sentral, Iskandar Puteri, and the other along the Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE). Preliminary investigations have already been launched by the Johor Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, including the review of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the affected stations. Lee confirmed that the findings will be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for consideration once the investigation is complete.

The matter attracted widespread attention on social media last week when photographs emerged of a man refuelling a Singapore-registered car at a Nusa Sentral petrol station before allegedly filling a plastic container with RON95 petrol. Days later, another image began circulating showing a Singapore-registered vehicle being filled with subsidised fuel at a station on the SDE.