The ministry of transport has moved to quell reports that outstanding road transport department (JPJ) summonses would cause users to be locked out of their Budi95 petrol subsidy. According to a statement released by minister Anthony Loke, unpaid fines and subsidy eligibility are based on two different mechanisms that operate separately; they are not related to each other.
He insisted that Budi95 eligibility will continue as is, whereby users will only need to be Malaysian citizens with a valid MyKad and have an active driving licence. Note that this does not mean the licence itself needs to be valid – users can pump subsidised RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre even with an expired licence, as long as it has lapsed for no more than three years.
This is in response to a now-deleted article from Malay Mail, which stated that motorists could lose their Budi95 subsidy if they failed to pay their outstanding summonses by December 31. It stated that because the subsidy eligibility is tied to having a valid driving licence, if a user is unable to renew their licence due to being blacklisted, they would be unable to get the fuel at a cheaper rate.
Obviously, the provision allowing users to have an expired licence up to three years puts paid to that notion, as they will have plenty of time to enjoy the subsidy until the amnesty period is up. Still, the ministry stressed that motorists should still abide by traffic laws to ensure the safety of other road users.
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