GOV'T TO STUDY LOCATION FOR NON-SUBSIDISED PETROL STATION IN JB

JOHOR BAHRU, June 24 (Bernama) -- The government is trying to identify a suitable location for a non-subsidised petrol station in this district, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

He said a study is being carried out by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN), given that Johor borders Singapore and many vehicles from the republic fill up petrol in Johor Bahru.

"The pilot project of opening two (such) petrol stations in Padang Besar and Wang Kelian, Perlis, has helped to save nearly RM6 million in the government's fuel subsidy allocation.

"In Johor Bahru, we are doing a detailed study and if there is a suitable place, we will open it to prevent or minimise the purchase of subsidised petrol (by owners of foreign-registered vehicles)," he told reporters after the Rahmah ITTV e-Learning launch ceremony in Kempas here today.

On May 18, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said KPDN was in the final stages of finalising the implementation of non-subsidised petrol stations in several other states after the pilot project was implemented in Perlis.

Salahuddin also issued a reminder that foreign-registered vehicles are not allowed to fill up subsidised petrol, RON95, and this includes buying the fuel in containers as the petrol subsidy is only to be enjoyed by Malaysians.

"In relation to a video that went viral involving a Singaporean who wanted to buy petrol, the closed-circuit TV (CCTV) footage showed the intended buyer was not able to do so. The Singaporean said the fuel was to be used in a go-kart ... I am waiting for a report from the Johor KPDN. If the petrol station owner committed an offence, the owner can be prosecuted according to the law," he said.

Yesterday, Iskandar Puteri district police chief ACP Rahmat Ariffin said police had opened an investigation paper in connection with a case of an altercation involving a food delivery rider and two foreign men at a petrol station in Iskandar Puteri on June 16.

On the ITTV e-Learning Online Tuition Rahmah Package, Salahuddin said its implementation is expected to benefit thousands of primary and secondary school students across the country, especially those from low-income families.

"This package targets schoolkids from Primary Four to Form Five with the provision of more than 3,000 tutorial videos based on the Ministry of Education's curriculum," he said, adding that the launch of the package also proved that the 'Payung Rahmah' initiative was accepted by Malaysians.

-- BERNAMA