The government has agreed to deploy police personnel at petrol stations near national borders and in other high-risk areas to curb fuel leakage and smuggling, following the ongoing global energy crisis.
The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on 8 April to expand the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living’s (KPDN) existing static enforcement presence, which has been in place since 20 March.
Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Armizan Mohd Ali said the move aims to strengthen monitoring and enforcement at high-risk locations.
“At the recent Cabinet meeting on 8 April, it was agreed that police personnel will be stationed at petrol stations in addition to the existing static enforcement officers from KPDN,” he told reporters after attending the Program Inisiatif Ihsan Food Bank (i-FB) Santuni Komuniti@Dapur Kita-kita event.
He explained that KPDN enforcement officers had already been deployed to 87 petrol stations during the first phase of the initiative, which ran from 20 March to 10 April. The second phase, set to begin next week, will involve an additional 70 stations and police personnel, according to Berita Harian.
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The enforcement efforts are focused on petrol stations near the country’s borders as well as premises that have recorded unusual spikes in fuel sales, as indicated by daily reports. Armizan also revealed that the government is considering involving Jabatan Sukarelawan Malaysia in the initiative to further enhance monitoring efforts.
“I have discussed with the Home Minister the possibility of involving RELA volunteers in static monitoring at these petrol stations,” he added.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to address fuel subsidy leakages and illegal cross-border smuggling activities.
Also read: PMX: Govt Working Hard to Maintain RON95 at RM1.99/Litre as Global Oil Prices Hit USD100/Barrel
