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STILL BUSY: It was mostly Singaporean motorists who were queuing to pump at the Caltex petrol station nearest the Malaysian checkpoint in Johor Baru yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
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THE fuel price increases in Malaysia will not deter many Singaporeans who go there regularly to eat and shop from crossing the Causeway.
Most of those who spoke to The Straits Times yesterday preferred the price hikes to an earlier proposal to ban foreigners from topping up at petrol kiosks within a 50km radius of Malaysia's borders.
That plan was scrapped in favour of a move by the government to trim fuel subsidies, which led to 41 per cent jump in prices.
When interviewed in Johor Baru yesterday, many drivers said the hikes did not bother them. But a few who drive across regularly just to top up their tanks said they would cut back on such trips.
For the others, though, filling up is just one part of their trip. They said the main reason is to buy cheap groceries and indulge in seafood.
Besides, they said they still save quite a bit. Before the hikes, petrol cost RM1.92 ($0.80) a litre and diesel RM1.58. From yesterday, it went up to RM2.70 (S$1.13) and RM2.58, respectively.
In Singapore, a litre of premium petrol costs $2.38 a litre, and diesel $1.83 a litre.
Mr James Tan, 38, said: 'It's still cheap, so I don't have to pump in Woodlands lah!' The sales assistant travels to Johor Baru twice a month with his family to shop, eat and top up his tank.
Yesterday, he paid S$28 to top up, instead of S$20. But he shrugged this off: 'S$8 is not going to make me poorer'.
He said he still saved S$100 by buying groceries and having a meal there.
'A plate of mixed rice costs RM4 here, but S$4 in Singapore. Same number, different currency, and to us Singaporeans, that simply means half price for everything.'
Engineer Aaron Chan, 32, who goes to Mersing weekly to visit his sister, said the hikes were better than a ban.
He said: 'Mersing is within the 50km radius, but the actual distance I would have to drive from Johor Baru to get there is 138km. If I drive from Singapore to Mersing and back, I will run out of petrol halfway. What do I do then?'
Petrol station owners in Johor Baru agreed. A Caltex station supervisor who declined to be named said: 'The ban would have hurt us as over 90 per cent of our 3,000 daily clients are Singaporeans. We may have had to close shop and lose our jobs.'
A BHPetrol kiosk manager who only wanted to be known as Mr Wong added: 'My business will still be affected as those Singaporeans who come here for the sole purpose of filling up their tanks may not come anymore. But at least I am still getting business.'
His fear is valid. Singapore vehicles are subject to the three-quarter tank rule when crossing into Malaysia, so those who drive across simply to fill up now have less incentive to do so.
Civil servant William Lim, 45, who drives his Toyota Camry to Johor Baru to fill up once a week, said he could buy 17 litres of petrol at most. The price hikes means his savings have dropped from S$14.50 instead of S$20.
'That is still quite a bit. But to drive there, stamp my passport and join the long queue at the checkpoint just to save S$14, I think I would rather top up in Singapore and drive less,' he said.
arlina@sph.com.sg
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