“Although data from the road transport department (JPJ) shows there are 1.2 million private diesel vehicle owners nationwide, the figure includes various categories that are not eligible for the assistance.

“Some 300,000 vehicles are company-owned; 330,000 are in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan; 150,000 have expired road tax; and 60,000 are luxury vehicles or owned by people who exceed the income requirements,” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to Abdul Khalib Abdullah (PN-Rompin) who wanted to know why only 100,000 of 1.2 million diesel vehicle owners nationwide had received the subsidy.

The Budi Madani initiative, which was launched on May 28, is a platform to subsidise diesel prices for private owners (Budi Individu) and small-scale farmers and smallholders (Budi Agri-Komoditi).

Nearly 400,000 small-scale farmers and smallholders are eligible for the Budi Agri-Komodi programme.