Ahmad Maslan Says Gov’t Could’ve Saved RM17bil if T20s Were Not Given Fuel Subsidy

How much could the government save if fuel subsidy was never given to the T20s?

Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, who is also the Deputy Minister of Finance, said the government could’ve saved up to RM17 billion if the fuel subsidy, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were not given to the high-income Malaysians.

“Imagine how much we can help the people with that amount of money,” Ahmad said in the Parliament today (February 28).

Ahmad said the total subsidy given for diesel in 2018-2019 was RM5.8 billion to RM6.1 billion, but the subsidy increased to RM8.4 billion due to its increased use over the years.

Meanwhile, he said the government will continue to monitor petrol and diesel smuggling activities thoroughly with the relevant agencies including the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).

During the Parliamentary session today, Ahmad said that last year, the use of fuel, diesel, and LPG in the low-income group (B40) was only around 24%. As for the middle-income (M40) group of people, the usage was around 41%, while the usage for the high-income group (T20) was around 35%.

Ahmad also took the time to highlight the cheap price of RON95 in Malaysia, as compared to other Asian countries.

“The price of RON95 in Malaysia is much cheaper which is RM2.05 per liter compared to neighboring countries such as Singapore (RM8.51 per liter), Thailand (RM5.71 per liter) and Indonesia (RM3.78 per liter).”

Do you think the government could save that much if fuel subsidy was never given to the T20s?

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