KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA: Petrol station owners here are worried for their safety if they refuse to sell fuel to foreign-registered cars. Zaiton Jusoh, who runs a station in Kampung Gual Tinggi in Rantau Panjang, said she was worried that the Thais would harm her if she refused to sell them petrol or diesel.
"They are desperate to get subsidised fuel as it is far cheaper than over there. They have to pay twice the amount in their own country.
"We don't call Golok town as Pekan Koboi (cowboy town or lawless town) for nothing.
"Even if the government puts an enforcement officer at my station, it is only temporary. Who will protect me and my staff if the customer flashes a knife or points a gun at us?" she asked.
There about about 20 stations operating in the border towns of Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor and Bukit Bunga, and most admit to depending on Thais for the bulk of their business.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Consumer Protection Association (Pelindung) president Ahmad Othman said the association supported the move as Malaysia should not be subsidising foreigners.
In Alor Star, Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak suggested the ban be extended to all petrol kiosks in Kedah.
Make it for the whole state. That would be more effective to check our subsidised fuel from being exploited by foreigners," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting here yesterday.
Azizan said Thais would simply just drive to the state capital which is only a few kilometres outside the 50km radius of the ban.
One state where all stations will be within 50km of the Malaysia-Thai border is Perlis. When the ban kicks in on Friday, all the 27 petrol stations in the state will not be allowed to sell petrol and diesel to foreigners.
In Ipoh, petrol station owners said they support the ban.
"Only a few of us will be affected (from the loss of business), but we have to think of our country. If many people come in just to pump petrol, we will end up subsidising our neighbours," said Perak Petroleum Dealers Association president Tony Goh.
The move would neither jeopardise the industry nor be a burden to genuine tourists who would already have filled their fuel tanks before embarking on their journey, he said.
In Johor Baru, Malaysians working in Singapore are against the ban on sales of subsidised fuel to those driving foreign vehicles.
Thousands of Malaysians make the daily commute to the island republic by Singapore-registered cars so as not to pay a levy imposed by Singapore on foreign cars entering the country.
For those who have permanent resident status like information technology executive Vinod Kumar, there is very little choice but to drive a Singaporean car everyday from his home in Johor Baru into Singapore.
This is since Malaysian cars are charged a levy of S$20 (RM46.60) per entry. Also, Malaysians with PR status are prohibited from driving non-Singaporean cars.
"I pay taxes just like any Malaysian, why should I not enjoy subsidised petrol?" Vinod said.
