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M'sian driver with S'pore-registered car caught using subsidised RON95 petrol in JB, says he later paid the difference
"I admit that this was my oversight," the driver said.
Chloe Loh
May 29, 2026, 03:18 PM
Photo from @m0ral_police/Threads.
A Malaysian man driving a Singapore-registered vehicle was spotted pumping subsidised RON95 petrol at a rest stop along the North-South Expressway in Johor.
What happened
Citing Malaysian news outlet Oriental Daily, 8world reported that the incident took place at a petrol station at a Pagoh rest stop on the northbound lane of the expressway.
A bystander had photographed the Mercedes-Benz bearing Singapore plates at the pump and posted the image online.
The bystander said he had approached the driver to remind him that foreign-registered vehicles are barred from purchasing RON95 fuel, but the driver replied that he was a Malaysian citizen and therefore entitled to the subsidy.
The incident drew criticism from netizens, with many tagging Malaysia's Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and calling for action, while others questioned whether the driver was "playing dumb".
Under Malaysia's updated Control of Supplies Regulations, which took effect on Apr. 1, petrol stations are prohibited from selling RON95 to foreign-registered vehicles.
Offenders face fines of up to RM1 million (about S$321,000), imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
Repeat offenders face stiffer penalties.
Driver clarifies incident
The driver later addressed the incident on social media, saying it had been a misunderstanding and that he had not broken the rules intentionally, 8world reported.
He explained that he has been working in Singapore for an extended period, and that his wife is Singaporean, adding that the couple had not returned to Kuala Lumpur since September 2025 and were therefore unaware of the updated RON95 subsidy policy.
The driver also claimed that upon arriving at the petrol station, the pump system prompted him to insert a Malaysian credit card and scan his MyKad — Malaysia's national identity card.
After completing those steps, the system allowed him to proceed to refuel his car with RON95 petrol, leading him to believe there was nothing wrong.
"Because I am a Malaysian citizen and hold a local credit card, the entire system process went smoothly so I assumed there was no problem with what I was doing. I admit that this was my oversight," he wrote.
He also disputed claims that he had grown agitated when approached.
He said he had only responded with "I'm Malaysian" before the bystander walked away without giving him a chance to explain further.
After noticing that he was being filmed, the driver said he went to the petrol station counter to check, and a staff member informed him that foreign-registered vehicles were not permitted to use RON95 fuel.
He added that he subsequently paid the price difference in cash based on the RON97 rate.
As the station's system was unable to print a receipt for the price difference, he photographed the transaction record and filed a report at a police station.
He said the police, after confirming that the price difference had been paid, determined the incident was a misunderstanding and saw no need to refer the case to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.
The driver also claimed that the person who filmed the video had witnessed him making the payment, but made no mention of this in the subsequent post.
He added that the incident had affected his work, his wife, and his family in Malaysia, and urged the public not to spread unverified information.
