KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 -- The Ministry of Finance has warned of a RM20,000 fine and three years' jail for anyone caught misusing another person's MyKad to claim BUDI MADANI RON95 (BUDI95) fuel subsidies, following a spike in identity theft reports at petrol stations.

In a statement today, the MoF asserted that using or possessing another individual's MyKad without lawful authority is a serious offence under Regulation 25 of the National Registration Regulations 1990.

The warning follows a recent high-profile case in Kedah. On May 20, a man pleaded not guilty at the Alor Setar Sessions Court to charges of using other individuals' MyKad numbers to purchase subsidised petrol.

The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in the manual entry of M...