SHAH ALAM, 20 Nov: Giving subsidies is not a crime and receiving subsidies is also not a sin, says the Central PAS Education Director, Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad.
This statement refers to the government’s attitude of being reluctant to lower the price of fuel even though the world market price for crude oil has gone down by 20 percent in the past two months.
“Unfortunately, in this country, the perception of giving subsidies is like a crime and (the people) who receive is like a sin.
“To become a government that cares and is concerned about the people, the giving of subsidies is necessary. Just look at developed countries. The government distributes huge amounts of subsidies for agriculture to make the sector competitive,” he said when contacted by Selangor Kini.
Previously, the PKR Vice President, who is also the Secretary General, Rafizi Ramli, urged the people to continue to put pressure and urge the central government to lower the price of petrol.
On November 18, the government reduced the price of RON97 to RM2.55 per litre compered to RM2.75 per litre previously.
In a statement, Rafizi said that the actual burden of the petrol and diesel subsidy by the Federal Government is only RM2 billion for 2015, when the world crude oil forecast remains around USD70 to USD80 per barrel for 2015.
He said that the subsidy brings about savings of RM11 billion for 2015 and a savings of RM2 billion for the last quarter of 2014.
In October, the price of RON95 petrol and diesel rose by 20 cents per litre in the government’s effort to rationalise subsidies.
Thus, he believed that the government should lower the price of RON95 petrol and diesel by subsidising the cost of savings as the world market price for oil has been going down.
In relation to that, Rafizi will begin campaigning of social media sites before touring the country, starting December 1, if the price of RON95 petrol and diesel does not go down. PKR will mobilise the #turunhargaminyak (reduce oil prices) campaign which will culminate with a demonstration on December 31.
Commenting further, Dr Dzulkifly said that the demonstration is not the first choice, however it is a reasonable measure if the government continues to marginalise the people’s welfare.
“If taking the streets to demonstrate is the last step for the people, I think that it is very reasonable if the diplomacy measure taken reaches a dead end when the government stays deaf and does not care about the people.
“The government bears a lower subsidy and if the world price for crude oil continues to go down but the petrol price in this country remains (at RM2.30 per litre for RON95 and RM2.20 per litre for diesel), the government is not subsidising, instead the people are paying more to the government,” he said.
NS
