How much would petrol cost without Malaysia's subsidy?

Malaysia’s RON95 is RM1.99 a litre for eligible Malaysians.

But without the subsidy, this week it would be RM3.82.

That means every time you pump 40 litres, the government is covering more than RM73 of the actual price.

And the pressure isn’t just coming from crude oil.

Russian refinery disruptions, tighter Chinese fuel exports and problems in West Asia have squeezed the supply of finished petrol and diesel across Asia.

So RM1.99 doesn’t mean Malaysia has escaped higher fuel prices.

It means we’re paying for them somewhere else.

The bigger question is how long that gap can be sustained.