The government is set to save billions of ringgit in fuel subsidies by restricting nearly 900,000 foreigners from receiving the benefits of the Budi95 scheme.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke explained that Road Transport Department (JPJ) records show that there are 878,279 foreigners, including more than 18,000 permanent residents, who currently hold Malaysian driving licenses.
This group is not eligible to receive fuel subsidies, which means that the government has previously borne the cost of subsidies for nearly 900,000 foreigners.
This restriction measure is expected to save the government billions of ringgit annually.
In addition, about 0.88 percent of the nearly 17 million Malaysians who are eligible may face difficulties accessing subsidies because their license details are not updated with the latest MyKad information.
The three main categories affected are licensees who are still using old identification documents such as pre-MyKad identification cards or birth certificates, Armed Forces and Police driving license holders who have not converted to a competent driving license (CDL), and those with discrepancies or errors in their identification card numbers.
To address this issue, JPJ has opened special counters at all its offices nationwide to make it easier for Malaysians affected to update their personal information.
The update process requires the individual to be present in person as a thumbprint verification is required, but there is no fee charged for the process.
