BATU KAWAN, April 24 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the Transport Ministry to study the possibility of reducing road tax for diesel vehicles, offering a potential relief measure for owners grappling with soaring fuel prices that the government says it cannot afford to lower directly.

The move comes after diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia surged dramatically, jumping from around RM3 per litre in late February to over RM5.50 per litre by late March, following adjustments to the government's subsidy mechanism.

In contrast, prices in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan have remained fixed at RM2.15 per litre.

Speaking at the 80th-anniversary celebration of the Road Transport Department (JPJ) today, Anwar acknowledged t...