The price of RON 95 petrol, along with the pricing of all other petroleum products, will be reviewed in June, according to Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He told reporters yesterday that the finance ministry and Pemandu (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) would be among those which would determine if the prices should be maintained or increased.
Ismail Sabri added that according to Pemandu’s subsidy rationalisation plan, there would be a revision every six months for subsidies on all products, saying that diesel, LPG and RON95 prices were revised last December and therefore a revision was now due.
“This means that a mid-year revision will be carried out this month or early June. I can’t say what will happen, but the revision will take place and the government’s subsidy burden is high,” he told reporters, who posed the question about the status of RON 95 pricing following the increase of RON 97 recently to RM2.90.
He said that although he had previously stated that petrol prices would not go up at the moment, that wasn’t a guarantee that petrol prices would stay the same forever, since the government was already burdened with subsidies for petroleum products.
“Last year, the government’s subsidy for petroleum products was RM8bil when world fuel prices shot up, and we don’t see signs that it will drop. If this continues, the government will bear RM18bil in subsidies this year, an increase of RM10bil,” he stated, adding that if subsidies were reduced, the RM10bil could be used to build more schools, housing projects, educational aid and village roads.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express strong dissatisfaction and concern over the planned review and increase of RON95 petrol prices, criticizing government transparency and management of subsidies, which are perceived as misused for political gain or corruption. Many highlight the unfairness of high car prices, taxes, and limited public transportation, arguing that these issues exacerbate the impact of petrol price hikes on ordinary Malaysians, especially the urban poor and rural communities. There is skepticism about the government’s claims of financial burden and the effectiveness of subsidy reductions, with accusations of corruption, misappropriation of Petronas profits, and misuse of funds for unnecessary projects. Several comments advocate for more transparent policies, better public transport, fair taxation, and a need for significant political change, often directly connecting subsidy cuts to broader economic and social issues faced by Malaysians.