KANGAR: The Perlis Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has acknowledged that subsidised Malaysian petrol is still being sold in southern Thailand, although these are isolated cases.
State director Hasbullah Abd Rashid emphasised that KPDN, in collaboration with other enforcement agencies, continues to monitor the situation through information sharing.
“The sale of subsidised petrol likely happens when Malaysian vehicles transfer fuel, either from their existing tanks or modified ones when they enter the neighbouring country. This is difficult for us to detect.
“Static operations, where enforcement officers are stationed at commercial petrol stations, particularly near the border, have found no repeated purchases by local vehicles. Petrol station owners understand the situation and cooperate with enforcement authorities,“ he told Bernama.
A Bernama survey from Padang Besar to nearby villages in the Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand, covering a distance of about 10 kilometres, revealed that residents in the area were seen selling what is suspected to be Malaysian petrol in bottles along the roadside, in front of homes, small shops, and eateries.
The survey disclosed that bottled petrol was being sold at six locations, with prices ranging between 30 baht (approximately RM3.89) and 35 baht (approximately RM4.54) per litre. The current petrol price in Thailand is 35.45 baht per litre (approximately RM4.60).
Hasbullah stated that while the sale of fuel in Thailand is beyond the jurisdiction of KPDN, the ministry’s enforcement team is continuously strengthening border control at Padang Besar and Wang Kelian to curb the leakage of subsidised petrol.
“We are controlling the leakage from within the country by taking specific actions, such as deploying enforcement officers at high-risk times at the ICQS (Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security) entry and exit points.
“We also monitor petrol stations across Perlis, including hidden areas in villages. Information sharing and cooperation with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to stop suspicious vehicles, helps us control this issue, with support from Customs officers at the ICQS,“ he explained.
Furthermore, Hasbullah noted that the number of cases involving the smuggling of controlled and subsidised goods from Perlis to Thailand has dropped to 91 cases from January to date, compared to 196 cases during the same period last year.
“To date, 9,129 inspections have been conducted, with seizures from 91 cases amounting to RM1,194,423.80. In comparison, during the same period in 2023, the value of seizures totaled RM4,460,080.00 from 196 cases,“ Hasbullah said.
He added that since Jan 1, Perlis KPDN has been conducting Ops Tiris 3.0, which has expanded its scope from Ron95 petrol to include other controlled items, such as refined white sugar (both coarse and fine), cooking oil, wheat flour, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“Additionally, omnipresence and inspections have been carried out, particularly at eight petrol stations near the border, as well as at 39 stations across the entire state,“ he said.
