DPM: Prepare for price increases
By Embun Majid and Ian McIntyre, The Star
KANGAR: The Government has urged Malaysians to be mentally prepared to face an increase in prices on various products due to increase in oil prices and reduction in food supply caused by changes in the global climate.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysians should control their expenses and learn to increase their own food supply.
“If we do this, the public would then not be burdened when the country faces an increase in cost and inflation,” he told newsmen after attending a meeting with the Perlis Barisan Nasional branch committee members yesterday.
Muhyiddin was on a one-day visit to the state yesterday. He was accompanied by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
On the Government’s role to help the people, he said it had come up with measures that include introducing the Competition Act 2010 in January next year and price control on certain items.
He said the subsidies provided by the Government would be rationalised in phases and the public should be prepared to face the changes.
He said deep sea fishermen would have to pay RM1.80 per litre for diesel compared to the RM1.30 for other fishermen from June 1.
The Cabinet made the decision to reduce the subsidy for deep sea fishermen at its meeting on Wednesday.
Muhyiddin said the subsidy price was the same as diesel price at the petrol stations but still below the industry price of RM2.40 per litre.
He added that savings from the subsidy reduction would be used by the Government for other social economic development for the benefit of the people.
Muhyiddin also said the Government was proposing the re-introduction of the one sen coin as a way to reduce the public’s expenses.
He said there was nothing wrong in reusing the one sen coin, adding that discussions would be held with Bank Negara.
Muhyiddin also said the Government had allocated RM18mil for flood mitigation projects in Perlis, including repairs to the irrigation system at the Timah Tasoh Dam and RM6mil for repair work on the Jambatan Syed Putra in Kuala Perlis.
