COMMENT | A politically heavy solution to the problem of RON95 subsidies is a double-edged sword - not only has the concept of targeted subsidy been hacked to pieces and leakage left unaddressed, but new procedures will likely cause queues and irritations at the pump.

It is impossible to understand why the government complicated a simple issue of everyone paying the market price, and those eligible, whether it is the bottom 20 percent or others, receiving an offsetting grant based on projected usage to lessen their burden.

The only possible explanation is political - but before you accuse me of bias, unfairness and naivete, hear me out, there is a relevant, strong basis for what I say.

Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said the decision to use MyKad as the main method to claim RON95 petrol subsidies will allow Malaysians to be reminded of the privileges of citizenship.