Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had spoken with domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali about the matter.

“I have recommended that investigation papers be opened so that cases do not merely end with compounds, but proceed to criminal charges,” Bernama reported him as saying in Kuantan.

Saifuddin said fleet card owners who abused the facility should face stricter administrative action, including immediate revocation of their fleet card privileges.

“These cases involve hundreds of thousands of litres, not just 10 or 20 litres,” he said.

Saifuddin said police foiled a fleet card syndicate in Kedah last week that resold fuel purchased at the RM2.15 subsidised rate to industries at market prices.

He said the government would also continue stationing police officers at high-risk petrol stations, especially near the country’s borders.