BUKIT KAYU HITAM: The RON95 petroleum shortage around Changlun and Bukit Kayu Hitam yesterday was due to high traffic volumes and a limited monthly subsidised fuel quota set by the government.
Checks at fuel stations around the two border towns today found that supplies of RON95 subsidised petrol had been replenished.
A fuel station administrative assistant, Kamarulzaman Lot, 41, said that the shortage of subsidised fuel in the town is a common monthly occurrence.
He said that the station he supervises manages a quota of 432,000 litres of RON95 petrol monthly, which ran out at 4pm yesterday.
"Based on demand, we have requested a monthly quota of 500,000 litres, but the government only allows a monthly quota of 432,000 litres for us.
"Hence, it's common for us to run out of RON95 petrol because of the quota, especially when there's high traffic volume here during public holidays," he told the NST when met at the fuel station in Changlun today.
He said that the sale of RON95 petrol has not seen any significant changes after Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli announced that the government is studying the need to include RON95 in its subsidy rationalisation efforts.
"Since the Minister didn't specify when a petrol subsidy rationalisation will take place, no panic buying has occurred just yet," he said.
He added that the government's move to rationalise diesel subsidies has indeed reduced the number of foreign-registered pickup trucks fueling up.
"We still take precautions with vehicles fueling up in excessive amounts. If it's beyond a set limit, we don't allow it," he added.
A source from the state Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry office confirmed that a quota for RON95 petrol was set in fuel stations across the border region.
He said that the quota was established to prevent the subsidy for petrol and previously diesel from leaking into neighbouring countries.
"It is common at the end of the month for stations to run out of their monthly quota. Every station within a 25 kilometre (km) radius of the border has a monthly quota for subsidised fuel like RON95," he said.
Meanwhile, the state Immigration Department on its Facebook page stated that the flow of traffic around the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex was slightly busy on Saturday.
It said that the traffic flow at bus inspection counters to Thailand was slightly congested, while other counters were running smoothly.
Yesterday, the NST received complaints from the public regarding RON95 fuel shortages around Changlun.