KOTA KINABALU: There is a plan to introduce a public movement to curb the misappropriation of controlled subsidised goods in Sabah and Sarawak.
Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Ali said this movement involving the public is under the planning stage, and the focus would first be given to Sabah and Sarawak, and on controlled subsidised diesel and RON95.
In a statement on Sunday (July 28), he said other components of this movement would include getting as many public as possible for monitoring and reporting purposes, using gas stations as among the operations centre and engaging oil and gas companies as strategic partners.
He said this initiative by the ministry, is to among others ensure that subsidised goods reach the targeted groups.
Armizan said this movement follows the federal government’s decision to implement the targeted subsidy for users in peninsula Malaysia and to exempt Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak from it, for now.
“The exemption given takes into account factors such as higher dependency on diesel among Sabah and Sarawak users due to geographical reasons as well the chain effects considered for these three places in terms of cost of goods and services which is already higher compared to the peninsula,” he said.
He said the level of preparedness and access to the customer base in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan for profiling the targeted subsidies were also important aspects to consider.
Armizan said when official, the planned mass movement is expected to help enforcers fight against any form of leakages via monitoring and dissemination of information.
He said misusing the subsidies and selling to non-targeted groups is a violation of the people’s rights and also a sabotage to the state economy, not to mention, illegal.
He said instructions have also been issued to the various enforcement agencies such as the Domestic Trade Ministry, Customs, Police, Road Transport Department and the Malaysia Checkpoints and Border Agency (MCBA) to strengthen strategies and tighten enforcement in this sense.
For the time being, the public is encouraged to share information about any suspicious activities via the Ministry’s WhatsApp number at 019-848 8000; Call Centre 1-800-886-800; and the Ez ADU KPDN phone application.
