PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that the mechanism and implementation date of diesel fuel subsidy targeting will be announced shortly and that the matter will be explained by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan because he has already given an overview of it and now only follow-up action is needed.
“Some people ask why? Not all prime ministers do it. I give the big picture and framework, then there will be follow-up action,” he said in a press conference after attending the Civil Post-Normal Era Exhibition.
Last week, Anwar said that the Cabinet agreed to target diesel subsidies, thereby saving the government around RM4 bil a year.
However, the targeting does not involve users in Sabah and Sarawak.
The opposition has many questions about the subsidy removal, prompting Anwar to ask the opposition leader who he is trying to protect by opposing the move by the government.
But the country is told that it is time for someone to end the blatant diesel smuggling into neighbouring countries.
Reports stated that Anwar is bent on achieving what other prime ministers have promised but failed to deliver. Those reports also said that this is a brave but difficult step that would save RM4 bil a year in diesel subsidies alone.
But what is more important is that the rationalisation of diesel will curb smuggling that has been going on for decades, causing Malaysia to lose millions of ringgit almost every day. – May 26, 2024
