29/01/2026

THURSDAY | JAN 29, 2026

4

RTD mulls new system to ease roadblock congestion

Law soon to bar RON95 purchase for foreign cars KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is drafting new regulations to explicitly prohibit the purchase of RON95 petrol by foreign registered vehicles at petrol stations nationwide. Its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the move involves introducing new regulations under Section 6 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 to strengthen control over the distribution of subsidised RON95 petrol. He explained that the current legal framework under Regulation 12A only prohibits the sale of RON95, allowing enforcement action to be taken against petrol station operators but not against owners or buyers of foreign vehicle registrations. “Through the new regulations that we are drafting, the prohibition would apply not only to sales but also to purchases. This means that individuals who buy, own or drive foreign registered vehicles could also be subject to enforcement action,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Armizan said the ministry is currently holding engagement sessions with relevant stakeholders, with the new regulations targeted to be finalised and enforced from April 1. He was responding to a supplementary question from Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy on additional enforcement measures to curb leakage of RON95 subsidies, particularly at petrol stations in border areas. Armizan said to strengthen monitoring and enforcement at the retail level, measures include periodic inspections at petrol stations to ensure compliance with the use of identity card mechanisms and enforcement of the ban on sales involving foreign registered vehicles. Additional controls include a ban on fuel purchases outside in-vehicle tanks exceeding 20 litres without a special permit, as well as regular monitoring through logbooks and visit records at petrol stations in border areas. – Bernama M’sia, Uzbekistan to explore agriculture, fisheries cooperation PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Uzbekistan are exploring potential cooperation in melon cultivation, the fisheries sector and the modernisation of padi farming through technologies involving drones. The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry in a statement said the matter was discussed during a courtesy call by Syrdarya Region Governor Erkinjon Turdimov on minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu on Tuesday. The ministry added that both sides expressed hope that collaboration in agricultural trade could be further strengthened in the future for mutual benefit. “The visit serves as a platform for both parties to discuss bilateral cooperation in agriculture and agro-food, in line with Malaysia’s national food security priorities.” The Syrdarya region is a key agricultural area that produces cotton, wheat and watermelon. Malaysia-Uzbekistan agricultural trade recorded RM266 million in value between January and October 2025. This covers the export of Malaysian agricultural products, such as coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and processed goods to Uzbekistan, while imports from Uzbekistan consist mainly of fruits. During the meeting, Mohamad also extended an invitation to Uzbekistan to participate in the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show 2026, which would be held from Aug 28 to Sept 6 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, under the theme “Value Creation for Food Security”. – Bernama

o Tech to read number plates allows monitoring without need to stop vehicles

to reinvent. We integrate,” he said, adding that although PLUS currently uses ANPR mainly for toll collection, the technology could be expanded for enforcement purposes. Loke said physical roadblocks were necessary in the past due to technological limitations but are no longer the most efficient option. “Previously, we had to check vehicles one by one. But with today’s technology, checks can be done through cameras.” On the involvement of other concessionaires, Loke said discussions have so far only taken place with PLUS, which he described as a natural starting point due to its scale. “PLUS alone is already large enough. It connects the country from north to south and handles (many) vehicles every day,” he said, adding that other operators would be expected to follow once the system is implemented. On another matter, Loke said the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) remains on track to begin operations in January 2027, adding that he was not prepared to commit to an earlier date. He was responding to remarks by Pahang MB Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, who suggested that the line could be operational as early as November this year. Loke said rail projects such as the ECRL involved far more than laying tracks, emphasising that full system integration is critical before services could commence. “The most challenging part of rail systems is not the infrastructure. It’s not the hardware, it’s the software. Therefore, we are sticking to January next year.”

“Information and data must be integrated so that we can ultimately achieve a smart government, in which services and enforcement could be coordinated.” Loke said the ministry recently held discussions with PLUS Malaysia Bhd, the operator of the North–South Expressway, on strategic cooperation involving data sharing and system integration. Under the proposed framework, vehicles entering highways would have their registration numbers captured automatically by ANPR cameras installed at toll plazas, with the information linked directly to RTD’s MySikap system. “The moment a vehicle enters the toll plaza, we would know whether it exceeds load limits, whether road tax has been paid, whether there is valid insurance or whether it is a stolen or cloned vehicle. “ We could just send the summons directly to (a driver’s) house because all the data is already there. “This is the new approach that we need to implement.” He added that such integration would allow enforcement to be carried out digitally without stopping vehicles, easing congestion while improving compliance. “There is no need to issue summonses on the spot. Enforcement could be done without disrupting traffic.” He also said while RTD already has its own ANPR initiatives, their effectiveness could be significantly enhanced through collaboration with highway concessionaires instead of building parallel systems. “If the system already exists, we don’t need

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PUTRAJAYA: Motorists may soon be spared the frustration of highway bottlenecks caused by physical roadblocks, with the Transport Ministry considering the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to replace roadside checks and streamline enforcement. Describing the move as a “new paradigm”, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the practice of narrowing six lanes into one for inspections is outdated, inefficient and a major source of congestion, particularly after toll plazas. “Six lanes become one lane and people get angry. This is an old approach,” he said, adding that enforcement must evolve in step with current technology. He also said agencies, especially the Road Transport Department (RTD), should move away from conventional roadblocks and adopt smarter, technology-driven methods. He added that the ministry is pushing for stronger integration of government databases and systems to enable non-intrusive enforcement, in line with the “whole-of government” approach championed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. GEORGE TOWN: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has dismissed claims of sharp price increases in vegetables ahead of Thaipusam and Chinese New Year, saying monitoring across Penang shows prices remain largely stable. State director S. Jegan said daily checks conducted by the ministry’s price monitoring officers indicated no significant statewide spike in vegetable prices. “Daily monitoring is conducted at 45 public markets, 13 hypermarkets and 18 supermarkets across all districts in Penang, involving the collection of prices for 41 types of vegetables.” He added that the monitored items included those cited by the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) such as tomatoes, ginger, okra, cauliflower, long beans, coconuts (medium size), green and red chillies, onions, cabbage, lime and carrots. “Our analyses show that for several items, prices recorded only marginal changes, while some items showed a decline between December 2025 and January 2026.” On Jan 27, PHA said a survey had found price increases of between 14% and 100% for 15 essential food items. Jegan said ministry data showed the average retail price of tomatoes rose moderately from RM6.56 per kg in December to RM7.28 per kg in January while ginger prices edged slightly lower from RM9.85 to RM9.82 per kg. “For okra and cauliflower, average prices fell from RM13.10 to RM9.99 per kg and from Ű BY T.C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Inspections disprove claims of price hikes in Penang

Jegan said discrepancies between PHA’s findings and ministry data could be attributed to differences in supply chains and retail structures. – SYED AZAHAR SYED OSMAN/THESUN

“Prices for large mangoes ranged from RM6.50 to RM8.00 per kg, brinjal from RM9.00 to RM11.00 per kg and moringa from RM12.00 to RM15.00 per kg.” Jegan said enforcement officers had been instructed to intensify inspections at public markets, morning and night markets, farmers’ markets and supermarkets. He reminded traders that they are required to clearly display price tags, use verified weighing instruments and ensure sufficient supply of controlled goods. He also warned that legal action would be taken against traders found profiteering under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, Control of Supplies Act 1961, Weights and Measures Act 1972 and the Consumer Protection Act 1999.

RM10.24 to RM8.82 per kg respectively,” he said, adding that long beans, cabbage and carrots recorded either minimal movement or stable prices over the same period. He also said discrepancies between PHA’s findings and ministry data could be attributed to differences in supply chains and retail structures. “Vegetable supplies are sourced from different suppliers and wholesalers, and prices are influenced by order quantities. “Hypermarkets usually procure supplies in bulk through their own distribution centres, while smaller retailers rely on wholesale markets.” He also said for items not included in the ministry’s daily monitoring, spot checks were conducted.