By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 25: President of the Sarawak Special Needs Children’s Association (Perais) Rapelson Richard Hamit has urged the government to consider an additional 300-litre subsidised quota under the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) programme for all e-hailing drivers regardless of whether they meet the 3,000-kilometre threshold.
He said the current 300-litre subsidy under Budi95 is insufficient, especially for Sabah and Sarawak drivers who face lower demand and wider travel distances.
“The government should consider an additional 300-litre subsidised quota for e-hailing drivers who travel less than 3,000 kilometres, and an additional 600-litre quota for those who exceed 3,000 kilometres.
“This means that drivers who cover less than 3,000 kilometres would receive a total subsidised quota of 600 litres for both personal and e-hailing use, while those who drive more than 3,000 kilometres would receive a total of 900 litres,” he said in a statement today.
He said drivers in Sabah and Sarawak struggle to meet the 3,000km target due to lower demand in rural areas, health issues, and the need to share fuel quotas for personal use.
He said the subsidy should be extended to all e-hailing drivers with valid PSV licences registered under any recognised platform such as Grab, Maxim, InDriver or AirAsia.
Rapelson further added that some drivers have resorted to using their family members’ MyKad to access the limited subsidy.
He also called for fishermen and farmers in rural Sarawak to receive an additional 300 litres of subsidised fuel for transportation and daily work needs.
“We cannot equate Peninsular Malaysia with Sabah and Sarawak. The needs in Sarawak—such as for fishermen and farmers, especially in interior areas—require an additional 300 litres of subsidised fuel for transportation and livelihood purposes,” he said.
He also cited reports on Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican who said that 95 per cent of Malaysians use less than 180 litres of fuel monthly, with the 300-litre quota mostly used by those refuelling near border areas.
Johan also said it was too early to suggest that the 300-litre quota was insufficient and warned that an increased quota might open up room for more leakages of the subsidised petrol, such as smuggling activity by local people.
Rapelson also urged the Treasury to provide transparency on fuel smuggling data, stressing, “If fuel smuggling is indeed happening, the Treasury should release comprehensive statistics. Don’t let the actions of a few spoil it for everyone.” — DayakDaily
