Driver of S’pore-registered Mercedes goes viral for pumping Ron95 fuel in M’sia: ‘They’re robbing a third-world country’
A video of a driver filling up the tank of a Singapore-registered car with subsidised Ron95 petrol in Malaysia has gone viral, with one netizen even accusing her of “robbing a third-world country.”
Facebook user @Jeff Jeffry shared footage of the incident on May 13. According to the accompanying caption, the clip was recorded the day before at a BHP petrol station in Ayer Tawar, a town 60km west of Ipoh, Perak.
The video begins with the pump attendant replacing a yellow pump nozzle – meant for government-subsidised Ron95 fuel meant exclusively for Malaysian citizens.
The man recording the video points out to the pump attendant that the Mercedes-Benz GLC is a Singapore-registered car and accuses the driver of opening the boot lid to conceal its registration plate.
The man tells the driver – a middle-aged woman – that she should not be using Ron95, even going around the car to show the car plate.
“Sorry, I don’t know,” says the driver in Malay, but the man says it is impossible that she didn’t know the law. She repeats her apology and continues to claim ignorance while the man changes tack, saying she should not apologise to him and that it was the law.
He then claims that it is the petrol station’s fault for allowing her to pump subsidised fuel.
The video ends with the woman explaining that she had asked the pump attendant to fill up her car.
M’sian netizens upset by woman’s actions
In a little more than 24 hours, post had garnered more than a million views, 19,300 reactions, and 3,200 comments.
Netizens, who were likely Malaysians, were upset that subsidised oil was sold to foreigners.
“From a rich country but want to steal subsidised oil,” commented a netizen, alluding to Singapore. “Citizens of the most developed country in the world robbing a third-world country,” said another.
Some called for the arrest of the driver.
“Call the police right away…who opens the boot lid when filling the fuel tank? We mark the car after this, hahaha,” said a Facebook user.
“This is the best...we just need to teach these people,” said a netizen.
Others felt that the petrol station and its staff were at fault, too.
“Sometimes, action has to be taken against these petrol station workers,” one netizen said.
“Close down the petrol station,” demanded another.
Subsidised Ron95 petrol is available strictly to Malaysians only at RM1.99. Drivers of foreign-registered vehicles, including those from Singapore, are only allowed to pump Ron97 or higher-grade fuel in Malaysia.
Since April 1, laws in Malaysia have been revised so action could be taken against both the driver of a foreign-registered vehicle and the petrol station operator for violation of the ban of sale of Ron95 petrol to foreigners. Previously, only petrol stations were penalised.
Drivers found violating the ban can be fined up to RM1 million (S$324,466), jailed for up to three years, or both.
Earlier in March, a few days before the new laws took effect, a man was seen pumping subsidised Ron95 into a Singapore-registered vehicle.
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