KINABATANGAN (July 28): The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is activating a mass movement involving the public to combat the misappropriation of subsidised controlled goods in Sabah and Sarawak, especially diesel and RON95, to ensure that the targeted groups can enjoy the priviledge.

Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said in a statement Sunday that the movement was a result of the federal government’s decision to implement targeted diesel subsidy for consumers across Peninsular Malaysia, with the exception of Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

“This mass movement aims to bolster enforcement efforts in plugging the leakage of subsidies through monitoring and information dissemination. The misappropriation and smuggling of controlled goods are not only legal offences but also deny the people from enjoying their subsidy rights,” he said after opening a Petronas petrol station in Bukit Garam, here.

He said trading controlled goods is not only against the law, but also sabotages the country’s economy and undermines the government’s efforts in distributing social assistance to those in need.

Meanwhile, Armizan said the exemption of Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan in the implementation of the targeted subsidy involves an estimated subsidy amount of RM3.6 million for this year.

According to him, the key factor behind the federal government’s decision to continue the subsidy in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan is the high dependency of its consumers on diesel-powered vehicles.

It is also due to considerations of a potential ripple effect where prices of goods and services are higher compared to those in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the level of readiness and access to information among diesel users to implement subsidy profiling, he said.

“(However) the government does not deny that the issue of leakage caused by misappropriation and smuggling of diesel is also happening in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan,” he added.

Armizan said the government had directed all relevant agencies, including KPDN, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Royal Malaysian Police, Road Transport Department and border control agencies to strengthen their enforcement strategies and approaches.

He also urged all parties, including the public, to report activities involving misappropriation and smuggling of subsidised controlled goods by lodging detailed and accurate complaints with the ministry.