RON97, unsubsidised RON95 and diesel prices up 5 sen per litre

On August 27, the Malaysian Ministry of Finance announced an increase of 5 sen per litre for unsubsidised RON97, RON95 and diesel fuel prices, effective from August 27 to September 2. RON97 will now cost RM4.30 per litre, up from RM4.25, while unsubsidised RON95 will rise to RM3.82 from RM3.77, and diesel will increase to RM4.72 from RM4.67.

In contrast, subsidised RON95 under Budi Madani RON95 (BUDI95) and Budi Madani Diesel (BUDI Diesel) remain unchanged at RM1.99 and RM2.10 per litre, respectively. The government continues to bear a subsidy of RM1.83 per litre for BUDI95, which accounts for approximately 48% of the current unsubsidised RON95 price, and RM2.62 per litre for BUDI Diesel, representing 56% of the unsubsidised diesel price.

The Ministry cited prolonged global geopolitical uncertainty as the primary driver for the price hike, with Brent crude oil prices remaining above US$90 a barrel throughout the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) calculation period. Global traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to refining capacity in West Asia and Russia have further constrained petroleum supply, heightening the risk of continued price pressures.

The depletion of the emergency oil reserves of the International Energy Agency member countries, which has facilitated the release of around 290 million barrels of oil to the market since July 2026, exacerbates the risk. The Ministry noted that although global crude oil prices fell at the end of the APM calculation period, the decrease was insufficient to counteract the higher price levels for most of the previous week.

They expect petroleum product prices to experience significant fluctuations in the near term, given the ongoing lack of normal traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.