Kota Kinabalu: Community activist and Kundasang Tourism and Cultural Association chairman Datuk Japiril Suhaimin has urged the Federal Government to increase the monthly fuel quota for eligible Sabahans to 500 litres each for RON95 and Budi Diesel.
Welcoming the Prime Minister’s announcement to increase the RON95 quota to 300 litres and Budi Diesel to 400 litres, Japiril said the allocation should be reviewed further to reflect Sabah’s unique geographical and economic circumstances.
He said long-distance travel was a reality for many Sabahans, particularly those living in rural and interior areas, where journeys of tens or even hundreds of kilometres were common.
“Sabah cannot be compared entirely with Peninsular Malaysia. In rural and interior areas, long-distance travel is part of everyday life,” he said in a media statement.
Japiril said a 500-litre monthly quota for both types of fuel would be more reasonable for eligible Sabah users, particularly those who rely heavily on vehicles for their livelihoods.
He said vehicles were essential for many Sabahans to travel to work, farms and plantations, transport agricultural produce, operate small businesses, send children to school and access basic services.
“Fuel policies must take these realities into account, rather than being based solely on general consumption figures,” he said.
Japiril also called for eligibility requirements to be simplified and made more flexible, saying increased quotas would have limited impact if people who genuinely needed assistance were excluded by rigid conditions.
He said vehicle ownership requirements should also take into account real-life circumstances, including older vehicles and vehicles registered under family members’ names but used for household needs or income-generating activities.
“Technical requirements should not become an obstacle for applicants who are genuinely eligible for assistance,” he said.
He further called for a simple, transparent and accessible appeal mechanism for unsuccessful applicants, including clear explanations for rejected applications and an easy process to seek a review.
Japiril said special consideration should also be given to farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders, small traders, rural entrepreneurs and tourism operators, whose livelihoods depend heavily on vehicles.
At the same time, he backed firm enforcement against the leakage and misuse of subsidised fuel.
However, he stressed that enforcement should be targeted effectively so that efforts to curb abuse did not inadvertently burden legitimate recipients.
Meanwhile, Japiril said a peaceful gathering in Kota Marudu on Sept 7, 2026 would proceed as a democratic platform for the public to voice concerns and call for improvements to the implementation of the fuel subsidy policy.
He said the demands were clear – 500 litres of RON95 and 500 litres of Budi Diesel monthly for eligible Sabahans, together with simpler and more Sabah-specific eligibility requirements.
Japiril urged the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to give serious consideration to the proposals.
“We appreciate the increase in the quota that has been announced, but the effort to ensure the policy truly eases the burden on Sabahans is not over,” he said.
“Sabah is not Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah’s reality must be taken into account in every policy that affects the lives of its people.”
