Another RON95 Attempt
Just days after a Singapore-registered car was caught covering its number plate to illegally refuel subsidised RON95 petrol in Johor, a second incident has surfaced. This time in Changlun, Kedah.
The latest case allegedly involved a Singapore-registered Mazda 3 attempting to pass off as a Sabah-registered vehicle. The driver allegedly tried to access the cheaper fuel using a different method from the earlier viral incident.
Suspicious Reverse Parking Raises Alarm
According to Facebook user Amirul Syafiq, the incident occurred at around 11:16pm on 3 January at Shell Changlun, Kedah, along the southbound route from the Thai border.
Amirul said petrol station staff noticed the Mazda 3 reverse-parking at the pump — supposedly a familiar tactic often associated with attempts to hide or obscure vehicle registration plates.
Station staff quickly grew suspicious and monitored the vehicle as it attempted to refuel.
“Sabah” Plate Swap Instead of Tape
Unlike the earlier Johor case where tape was used to mask parts of a Singapore number plate, this driver allegedly went a step further.
Amirul claimed the driver replaced the original Singapore plate with a Malaysian-looking one, attempting to make it appear as though the car was registered in Sabah.
For context, both Sabah and Singapore vehicle plates begin with the letter “S,” making it easier for such deception to occur at a glance.
“We knew right away it was a Singapore-registered car masquerading as a Sabah car,” Amirul wrote.
“This guy went extra by replacing the plate number with Malaysian looking plate, an upgrade from the uncle with masked plate.”
ERP/IU Unit Gives the Game Away
Despite the plate swap, the ruse allegedly failed due to a key giveaway.
A Singapore ERP/IU in-vehicle unit was clearly visible inside the car, something Malaysian-registered vehicles do not have. Amirul also attached screenshots of vehicle details that showed the car was registered in Singapore.
When station staff confronted the driver, Amirul said the man repeatedly shouted, “Sabah! Sabah!” in an apparent attempt to insist the vehicle was Malaysian.
The staff, however, were not convinced.
Staff Intervene, RON95 Nozzle Returned
Amirul said that due to the swift action by Shell Changlun staff, the driver was stopped before refuelling with RON95.
He said the yellow RON95 nozzle was returned, and the driver was made to refuel using RON97 instead. RON97 is the only petrol grade foreign-registered vehicles are allowed to purchase in Malaysia.
After refuelling, the vehicle reportedly drove into Thailand. Amirul urged Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to take action against the car.
Comes After Johor Case Traced by Police
The Changlun incident comes shortly after Johor police confirmed they had traced the owner of a Singapore-registered car involved in a viral RON95 refuelling case in Kulai.
In that earlier case, police identified the owner as a Singapore permanent resident and summoned him to assist investigations. Authorities said the case is being probed under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987. This covers tampering with vehicle registration numbers.
Kulai OPCD Assistant Commissioner Tan Seng Lee said the owner of the vehicle had been found in Singapore.
“We have gotten in touch and directed him to come to the traffic department at Kulai’s police headquarters to assist with investigations,” he said on Sunday.
Police reiterated that only Malaysian-registered vehicles are eligible for subsidised RON95, regardless of the driver’s nationality. Since 2010, all foreign-registered vehicles — including those from Singapore — are restricted to RON97 or higher-grade fuel.
Find the original post here.
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
Singaporean Man Embarrassed After Being Confronted While Pumping RON95 in M’sia
Anwar Announces RON95 Price Drop to S$0.60 (RM1.99) per Litre
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