Since the gradual rollout of the RON95 petrol subsidy mechanism (BUDI 95) on September 27, a rather amusing misunderstanding has surfaced — some people thought the government was handing out 300 litres of free petrol.
According to mStar, a petrol station cashier shared her experience when a female customer came to fill up RM50 worth of RON95. When asked whether she wanted to pay in cash or via e-wallet, the woman appeared shocked. It turned out she believed BUDI 95 worked like the SARA assistance scheme — completely free.
The cashier recounted, “I explained for quite some time, but she still didn’t understand. Where in the world would the government give away 300 litres of petrol for free?”
Even more surprisingly, once the customer was told that she still had to pay the market price (with subsidy factored in), she refused to pump petrol and even blamed the cashier for “not letting her redeem petrol for free like SARA.”
Frustrated, the cashier said, “This is a subsidy! Doesn’t she know what ‘subsidy’ means?”
The story quickly went viral online, sparking heated discussions. Many netizens admitted they were also confused about the scheme, while others called on authorities to improve public awareness to prevent such misunderstandings. Some sympathized with the cashier, saying they were both amused and sorry for her situation.
