PM: Not easy to reduce price of petrol even by six sen

New Straits Times

3 days ago

JITRA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar said it is not easy for the government to reduce the price of RON95 fuel even by six sen as it has to take into account the wider financial implications to the country.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said as a result, he needed several days to assess and study in detail before eventually announcing it to the public on Wednesday.
"We reduced the price of petrol to RM1.99. Yes, countries like Thailand and Singapore had done so earlier, but ours is even lower. This is for all Malaysians.
"It's okay if you're not grateful or you disagree with it, but it's not easy. That's why we needed several days to make the calculations, so do not trivialise this. They say it's just six sen, but they're not listening to the explanation," he said.
Anwar was speaking at the National Anti-Drugs 2025 celebration at Dataran Darulaman here today, which was attended by around 6,000 people.
The prime minister said some quarters had also questioned why the government did not offer subsidies to foreigners. He said this was because they do not pay tax to the government.
"I find it odd when the Opposition asks why we are burdening foreigners, as they contribute to the country too. I struggle to think of any country in the world where foreigners are accorded the same treatment as citizens," he said.
Anwar said some also questioned the one-off RM100 aid under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme to all Malaysians aged 18 and above.
"The RM100 is an additional allocation from the initial RM13 billion to RM15 billion. Husbands and wives will each get RM100, and if they have children who are above 18, they get it too," he said.
At the same time, Anwar said the deferment of the toll hike also meant that the government would assume financial implications of up to RM500 million.
"Based on the agreement, toll rates must go up this year. I didn't make that agreement. The ones (administrations) before did that.
"If the government does not want to (increase the toll rates), then it must pay. But this government does not want to burden the people. If you don't feel like saying thank you, at the very least don't condemn me," he said.