Govt to deploy Rela at border petrol stations

(Bernama) – JEMPOL: The government will deploy Rela personnel at all border petrol stations to prevent fuel smuggling, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob said.

The Home Ministry, he said, had agreed to the deployment but had not determined when it could be done.

Describing smugglers as “traitors,” he said, their actions could deplete these petrol stations of fuel supplies, causing inconvenience to the public.

“They know that the price of fuel in Malaysia is still cheap compared the prices in the neighbouring countries, and they take advantage of the situation to profit,” he told reporters after opening the Jempol Carnival 2011 Saturday night.

In Thailand, for instance, the prices of fuel were between RM3.50 and RM4 per litre, he said.

The price of RON95 petrol in Malaysia is RM1.90 per litre.

“We’ve told petrol station operators not to sell the (RON95) petrol to foreign motorists and they have been abiding by the regulation.

“But our own people are smuggling the fuel out; they fill up their tanks and bring the fuel across the border,” he said.

These smugglers, he added, would make frequent trips of about 30km, sometime up to five times a day, across the border.

“Imagine if there are dozens or hundreds of cars involve in this activities daily. Imagine the inconveniences they cause to others,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Ismail said the government had to bear RM17bil in fuel subsidy.

“The increase in prices cannot be avoided. The government cannot control everything because there are also external factors, such as the increase of world oil prices due to the crises affecting oil producing countries in the Middle East,” he said. – Bernama