Rushing out door, so no time to do links.
Basically, Najib said the opposition was making untenable promises about petrol prices.
I say bullshit.
We supposedly saved RM 4 billion this year via the last petrol hikes.
We definitely blew RM 4 billion on a ‘soft loan’ for the ever-corrupt PKFZ project.
So, if the government didn’t siphon taxpayer money to its cronies via the PKFZ, we wouldn’t need to raise oil prices. Is it that simple? YES.
That’s not all, Najib paid out about RM 1 billion in total in commissions for arms deals – fighter jets and submarines.
Note that’s not what the weapons cost, it’s just the commission. Abdul Razak Baginda got something like half of that just for those French submarines (But if he thought snuggling with Najib was a good thing, I guess he thought wrong).
Long story short, corruption is what is bleeding the country more than petrol subsidies.
In the long long run, subsidies are probably questionable at best. But I’m confident that present prices can be controlled once the corruption ridden Umno-BN government is out of power.
In the long run, the solution will be in alternative energy and much better public transport (don’t get me started).
See KeADILan’s Youth Chief Shamsul Iskandar’s statement and Sec Gen Tan Sri Khalid’s astute observations for more details.
remember the 30% fat commission for government contracts being tossed around in organised parties by the warlords and cronies. 30% of RM40 billion equates to RM12 billion leakages per year which is more than enough to offset the petrol subsidies.
whatever, the government still has enough of reserves in the kitty to buy and retrofit a new plane to fly the PM around. No wonder, he is the happiest PM in the history of the country with his taste of luxurious lifestyle and frequent holidays. of course, at our expense and he is telling poor malaysians to change their lifestyle to accommodate the higher cost of living arising from the removal of subsidies.
put it this way, subsidies are distortionary and are not favoured for an efficient running of the economy. but any savings from the removal of the subsidies must be rechannelled into programmes to alleviate the sufferings of the poor regardless of race. the leaders must walk the talk and stop plundering the country’s finite resources. they have to listen and not intimidate ,thru violence via the police, those who voiced out as a true malaysian.
are the leaders listening? I guess not and the best way as a malaysian to tell these deaf leaders is to vote them out.