🇲🇾 Zainal Abidin Sayadi

I live in a developing nation called Malaysia. Some of you might not know where exactly it is. We’re a small country of 34 million, formed in 1963, not even 100 years old. Maybe you’ve heard of the Petronas Twin Towers. If not, chances are you’ve probably never heard much about us at all. We’re kind of the underdog of countries. Multilingual. Multi-cultural. Still figuring things out. But today feels like a win for Malaysians. While fuel prices are high around the world, here our price is RM1.99 per litre (about US$0.42). It even dropped by RM0.06 beginning today for eligible Malaysians. For some, that may not sound like much but for millions of Malaysians, every cent matters. And it’s possible because the government subsidises fuel and because we produce oil ourselves. This is managed under a program called BUDI95 as you can see from the screenshot. It’s a targeted subsidy scheme where eligible Malaysians receive a 300-litre quota of petrol per month at the subsidised price. To access it, we use our national ID card (with a built-in electronic chip), which verifies our identity at the pump. The system is also integrated with cashless apps, making the whole process seamless. (Our ID card can also be used to pay for parking, highway tolls, metro, trains etc). So today, I can pull up to a station, use my ID card and refuel with a benefit that helps millions of Malaysians keep daily costs manageable. I share this because: (a) My audience comes from all around the world and no international media outlet will ever report this. 😂 (b) My point isn’t to brag, but to show how even small, developing nations can innovate and progress. To my fellow Malaysians: congratulations on this historic day. Sometimes, being the underdog means we quietly make things work. And that’s something worth celebrating. And by the way, next year is Visit Malaysia Year 2026. If you’re curious to know more about us, just head over to YouTube. You’ll find countless travellers who’ve discovered how special this country really is.