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THE government has escalated its crackdown on fuel leakages and smuggling through an enhanced and integrated OPS Tiris 4.0 as authorities respond to mounting risks stemming from global energy instability linked to the West Asia conflict.
The move follows a Cabinet decision on 11 March to activate a high-level inter-agency taskforce aimed at strengthening enforcement against the diversion of subsidised goods, particularly diesel and petrol.
The committee brings together key ministries, enforcement bodies and the Sabah and Sarawak state governments under a coordinated national effort.
Deputy Prime Minister II and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof today said the initiative reflects the government’s dual priority of safeguarding supply while tightening distribution controls.
“In ensuring the continuity of energy supply, the government’s key focus is not only to maintain supply stability, but also to take immediate steps to tighten control and monitoring of distribution,” he said.
OPS Tiris 4.0, implemented from 16 March, has already yielded significant enforcement results.
Between 16 March and 5 April 2026, authorities carried out 8,148 inspections, uncovering 155 offences involving controlled goods.
These included 60 diesel-related cases with seizures exceeding RM2.1 million, 47 cases involving RON95 petrol worth RM51,299, 21 cases involving liquefied petroleum gas valued at RM37,822, and 27 cases involving essential items such as cooking oil, sugar and wheat flour.
A subsequent coordination meeting further strengthened the enforcement framework by assigning clear leadership roles across sectors, with the Malaysian Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) overseeing land operations, the police handling border enforcement, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) leading maritime surveillance.
Authorities have also pledged firm action against abuse of subsidised fuel schemes, including suspending or revoking fleet card approvals under the Subsidised Diesel Control Scheme and fishermen’s diesel subsidies.
Regulatory oversight of bunkering activities will be tightened, while dedicated task forces will be established in Sabah, Labuan and Sarawak to enhance enforcement at the state level.
In addition, the government plans to expand the use of fleet cards under the subsidised diesel scheme to the goods transport sector in East Malaysia, as part of efforts to improve monitoring and reduce leakages.
Further policy recommendations arising from the taskforce will be submitted to the National Economic Action Council on a regular basis to reinforce national supply stability.
Fadillah stressed that the government remains highly alert to global geopolitical uncertainties and their potential impact on supply chains and energy prices.
“However, I would like to emphasise here: the government will not allow the people to be affected by supply disruptions. We have strengthened preparedness through strategic and integrated measures to ensure that supply in the domestic market remains stable and controlled,” he said. - April 6, 2026
