KUCHING, April 8: “Is it reasonable to use public funds to further drive down RON95, diesel, and LPG prices when the federal government already subsidises them?” asks Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.
He was directing that question to Sarawak Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong who had yesterday (April 7) in a statement called on the Premier of Sarawak to lower petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices sold through Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros).
“I am puzzled over the logic of the suggestion given that the petrol prices, particularly RON95, diesel, and LPG, have been subsidised by the federal government, allowing Malaysians and Sarawakians to obtain them at an already attainable price,” said Fazzrudin.
He said an additional subsidy by the Sarawak government would cost billions in public funds when it could be better utilised for infrastructure and economic development and expenditures in safeguarding the welfare of Sarawakians.
According to the Finance Ministry, he added, a sum of RM11 billion was spent on fuel subsidies in 2021, and it was forecasted that the figure could rise to RM28 billion in 2022 following the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, which has pushed crude oil prices past the USD100 mark per barrel.
Fazzrudin, who is also Chief Political Secretary to the Premier of Sarawak, thus viewed Yong’s statement as Sarawak DAP clutching at straws in a bid to establish some semblance of relevancy amid their declining popularity among Sarawakians.
“It is par for the course for her, along with her counterparts in Sarawak DAP, to come up with comical suggestions to win brownie points among their supporters, similar to her antics confusing the designation of ‘Premier’ to that of a tissue paper brand not too long ago.
“I urge the Sarawak DAP to tone down their rhetorics, painting an image as if they were the ones who had fought for Sarawak’s rights when they did nothing to help to begin with,” he said in a statement today. — DayakDaily
