FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged the Government to provide Malaysians with electricity tariff discount to mitigate the effects of spiking inflation.
“This is the fifth time I’m saying this. Reintroduce the electricity tariff discount for all sectors, including domestic usage, like what was given last year to reduce inflation and bring down prices.
“The Statistics Department has confirmed that the decision to revoke the discount last year is causing prices to shoot up,” he said in a Facebook post.
Najib opined that inflation will become a big problem in the months to come if the Government did not act on it now.
Based on the latest Consumer Price Index, he added, prices of goods will usually soar within a few months, when cost of manufacturing increases.
“Manufacturing index spiked to 10.6% in April, higher than the 6.7% recorded in March. This time, it doesn’t only involve raw material or oil prices but also food production.
“For example, the cost for food production at the intermediatory level has shot up to 31.1% in April,” the Pekan MP stated.
On a general note, Najib said that it was nonsensical for the Government to force everyone to stay home during the lockdown, without reducing electric tariff rate.
“If people stay home most of the time, don’t you think power usage will increase? If you don’t listen to the people’s plight then don’t complain when the masses vent out their anger on you,” he quipped. – June 5, 2021.
