PADANG BESAR: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs is considering a suggestion to post notices on banning the sale of RON95 gasoline to foreign-registered vehicles at the country’s border gates.
Its secretary-general, Azman Mohd Yusof, said the suggestion put forward by petrol station operators was good and would help stop such vehicles from refueling subsidized petrol reserved for Malaysians.
“We can prepare the notices in Malay, English and Thai so that travelers can see the information early before entering the country.
“We will first try to review the effectiveness of its implementation before making a decision,” he said after a working visit to the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex (ICQ ) here.
Also present were Deputy Director of Enforcement (Operations) Shamsul Nizam Khalil and Perlis Chapter Director of the Ministry Norazah Jaafar.
Meanwhile, Azman said 94 cases of smuggling of controlled and subsidized items at national border gates were recorded from January to April this year, with seizures amounting to RM7.88 million.
“The ministry takes seriously the issue of leaks of controlled and subsidized items, especially those that take place at the borders of the country, as they cause huge losses to the nation,” he said.
Azman also said the ministry is of the view that its law enforcement personnel should be equipped with border control facilities while performing their duties to ensure their safety.
He said there were also plans to provide them with firearms depending on where they were stationed.
“However, a study must first be conducted on the number of firearms needed taking into account standard operating procedures, licenses, allowances and the like.
“We also want to request an allowance to procure vehicles to facilitate the performance of our duties by our members, but this issue should be considered first,” he added. – Bernama
