Update Driving Licence with 12-Digit MyKad to Qualify for Budi95 Subsidy, Says Loke

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 30:Transport Minister Anthony Loke has urged Malaysians to update their driving licenses with their 12-digit MyKad number in order to qualify for the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) fuel subsidy.

He revealed that about 0.88% of the 17 million eligible Malaysians, roughly 150,000 people have yet to make the update, leaving them at risk of missing out on the subsidy.

“To be eligible, recipients must be Malaysian citizens with a valid and active driving license. Several categories of license holders have yet to update their records with the 12-digit MyKad number, including those using old IC numbers, birth certificate numbers, as well as police and army IDs that were not changed to civilian numbers after retirement,” Loke said during a press conference on Tuesday.

He explained that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) provides license data to the Finance Ministry to ensure smooth subsidy implementation. However, outdated or incorrect records prevent the system from recognizing some applicants.

To resolve this, JPJ will open special counters for affected individuals to update their details free of charge. “They must be present to update their thumbprint, but no fee will be imposed,” he assured.

Loke also highlighted that some cases involve licenses flagged for errors or irregularities, which will require further review. Once updated with the 12-digit MyKad and cleared of issues, the information will be reflected in the Finance Ministry’s Budi95 system on a weekly basis.

As of now, JPJ records show 870,279 driving license holders are non-Malaysians, including permanent residents, who are not entitled to the subsidy and must pay the standard RM2.60 per liter for RON95 fuel.

“Budi95 is a targeted subsidy for Malaysians, which helps the government save billions,” Loke said.

He noted a surge in driving license renewals following the subsidy announcement, with daily renewals rising from 17,000 to 27,000.

On Malaysians who hold Singapore driving licenses, particularly Johor residents working across the border, Loke acknowledged complications. “By law, one cannot hold two driving licenses. These Malaysians must use a Singapore license for work there, but the data is not integrated with our system due to jurisdictional and data protection issues. JPJ will need two to three weeks to develop a system to register them,” he explained.

However, he stressed that Malaysians using foreign-registered vehicles are not entitled to Budi95, as excise duties and taxes are paid to foreign governments.