Following the recent clarification that there will be no daily limit of refueling, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan has defended the decision to extend the RON95 subsidy to all Malaysians, saying the Budi MADANI RON95 (Budi95) programme still provides meaningful savings despite calls to exclude higher-income groups.
He noted the government expects to save between RM2.5 billion and RM4 billion depending on oil price movements, compared with the RM8 billion initially projected. “Is RM2.5 billion small or big? Every ringgit saved will be used in other ways to benefit the people,” Amir said at a media briefing, as reports FMT.
Savings will be channelled into targeted aid programmes such as the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara). At the same time, the government will still spend about RM11 billion to cover the gap between the subsidised price and the market rate.
Under Budi95, which begins Sept 30, all Malaysians aged 16 and above with a valid driving licence can purchase up to 300 litres of RON95 per month at RM1.99 per litre. With market prices recently between RM2.60 and RM2.75, this works out to monthly savings of about RM183 to RM228, according to Bernama.
“Amir said this reflects the Prime Minister’s focus on easing cost-of-living pressures, noting that more than 16 million Malaysians are eligible. Eligibility checks can be made starting Thursday, Sept 25, at www.budimadani.gov.my, through Budi95 service centres, or via Setel and CaltexGO once MyKad verification is completed.”
He also acknowledged weaknesses in the system, but stressed that reforms could not be delayed. “We cannot let these holes deter implementation. If we wait for a perfect system, the country will never be able to move forward,” he said.
Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican added that TNG Digital Sdn Bhd has been tasked with managing the backend infrastructure, while its subsidiary Nadi Tech Sdn Bhd will run the central verification system that supports Budi95 across fuel retailer apps.
