MCA demands safeguards for RON95 subsidy rollout

Summary

• MCA urges govt to strengthen safeguards for the upcoming RON95 subsidy rationalisation, citing the Sara aid system breakdown as a warning sign.

• Its National Policy and People’s Livelihood Research Advisory Committee chairperson Monna Ong stresses the need for robust system capacity, backup mechanisms, better communication, and transparent post-incident reporting.

• Wanita MCA’s deputy chief Tee Hooi Ling calls for Sara aid expansion to cover petrol station purchases beyond fuel, insurance premiums, private healthcare, and more retail outlets.

MCA has demanded that the government fine-tune its rollout for the upcoming RON95 subsidy rationalisation exercise to avoid a repeat of the recent system breakdowns seen in the distribution of Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara).

Its National Policy and People’s Livelihood Research Advisory Committee chairperson Monna Ong asked if the government did not foresee a surge in transactions, adding that this failure raises doubts over future policies.

"Without stronger safeguards, how can the rakyat be assured that petrol stations will not face similar chaos, with long queues and public disorder?" she said in a statement today.

Ong suggested several measures, including:

• Strengthening system capacity through large-scale testing, along with regular upgrades to servers, databases, and networks,

• Providing backup mechanisms in case of system failures,

• Improving communication so that beneficiaries are informed of disruptions and to prevent panic and frustration, and

• Publication of post-incident reports to provide transparent explanations for failures and follow-up action.

Ong warned that the people cannot continue to be “test subjects” each time a new policy is rolled out.

"Welfare programmes must lighten the rakyat’s burden, not worsen it through poor execution and weak governance," she added.

On Sept 1, the Finance Ministry announced that the payment terminal system for the Sara aid distribution, which operated through the MyKasih network, was experiencing significant slowdowns at various locations due to a surge in transactions.

As the time is was reported that over 850,000 Malaysians reportedly spent more than RM50 million on the first day of the Sara one-off aid rollout.

Yesterday, Ong said the government should have ensured greater system readiness, including conducting trial runs and troubleshooting, before launching the Sara programme.

While she acknowledged the authorities’ prompt efforts to address the situation, she also pointed out that such incidents could have been prevented with proper planning.

Expand Sara aid

In a separate statement, Wanita MCA deputy chairperson Tee Hooi Ling called for the government to expand the Sara aid.

She urged for the inclusion of:

• Purchases at petrol stations other than fuel,

• Insurance premium payments for medical, personal, and vehicle coverage,

• Services at private healthcare providers, such as consultation, treatment, and medical laboratory tests, and

• All retail outlets, sundry shops and neighbourhood family-run provision stores as approved vendors.

"The core purpose of the Sara programme is to ease the financial burden on the most vulnerable members of society.

"To fulfil this mission effectively, both system reliability and access flexibility must be prioritised.

"Enhancing the programme in these ways will not only strengthen its integrity and fairness but also ensure that its benefits reach more people, more efficiently, and thus maximise its impact on recipients and supporting the wider economy," Tee said.

According to the Finance Ministry, the RM100 Sara one-off aid remains valid until Dec 31 and can be used at more than 7,300 registered retail outlets nationwide.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the aid last month - the amount of which is credited into the MyKad of over 22 million Malaysians aged 18 and above.

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