KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign nationals residing in Malaysia have described the BUDI MADANI RON95 petrol subsidy initiative as fair despite being excluded from the benefit.
Somali national Faisal Abdi Ali stated that the savings enjoyed by Malaysians help with household financial management and allocation to other essential needs.
The 45-year-old student acknowledged that prioritising citizens represents a reasonable approach by the government.
“I understand that the government needs to focus on its own people, and this is a fair approach,” he told Bernama.
Faisal described the RM2.60 per litre price for foreigners as reasonable and not overly burdensome.
Chinese student Shueb Ibn Abbas acknowledged the subsidy removal affected him but said foreigners should not question the measure intended for citizens.
The 42-year-old added that the initiative’s organised rollout helped avoid technical disruptions during implementation.
“Local people are fortunate in this matter; they should be grateful to be Malaysians,” he said.
BUDI95 was introduced in phases beginning September 27 for armed forces and police personnel before expanding to STR recipients.
Over 16 million Malaysians aged 16 and above with MyKad and driving licence can enjoy the subsidised RM1.99 per litre price.
The Finance Ministry set the unsubsidised RON95 price at RM2.60 per litre from September 30 to October 8. – Bernama