Fishermen’s Fuel Subsidy Quota Kept At 70 Million Litres Monthly Until June 2026 - MAFS Sec-gen

PUCHONG, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- The government has agreed to maintain the quota for the Fishermen’s Diesel and Petrol Subsidy Scheme at 70 million litres per month for the period between January and June 2026, said Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak.

Isham said the decision was reached during a meeting on the management of fuel subsidies for fishermen held at the ministry today.

He said maintaining the quota would ensure that the government continues to support fishermen, particularly in facing the challenges and issues frequently raised during engagement sessions held nationwide this year, including in Sabah and Sarawak.

“According to data from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia’s (LKIM) e-Nelayan and e-Pendaratan systems, every litre of subsidised diesel can yield nearly 0.9 kilogrammes of fish, while every ringgit of petrol subsidy can produce about two kilogrammes of fish. This clearly demonstrates the direct impact of the assistance on fish landings,” he said.

He said this when speaking at the Integrity Pact signing ceremony for suppliers, wholesalers and retailers involved in the subsidy scheme, held at LKIM headquarters here today

Commenting further, Isham said that from January to October this year, a total of 532 million litres of subsidised diesel, valued at RM665 million, had been distributed to 10,330 vessel owners nationwide. In comparison, 688 million litres, worth more than RM1.06 billion, were distributed last year.

“With such a large allocation, the management of subsidised diesel and petrol distribution requires the cooperation of all parties to prevent leakages that could undermine the rights of fishermen who are genuinely eligible for the assistance,” he said.

At today’s ceremony, Isham witnessed the signing of an integrity pledge by representatives of five supplier companies appointed to provide subsidised fuel under the scheme, namely Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd, Chevron Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing Sdn Bhd, and Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd.

The pledge was also signed by three wholesalers responsible for managing subsidised fuel orders from suppliers - the National Fishermen’s Association (Nekmat), the Sarawak Fishermen’s Association, and the Koperasi Kemajuan Perikanan dan Nelayan Sabah (Ko-Nelayan).

Also present at the ceremony were LKIM chairman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil and director-general Hamdan Mamat.

-- BERNAMA