Group protests petrol price hike

IPOH: A group of people gathered here Thursday to voice their dissatisfaction over the petrol price hike announced Wednesday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The group of about 200 people, consisting DAP leaders, non-governmental organisations and unions, started assembling in front of the Federal Building here at Jalan Datuk Seri Ahmad Said at 11am and dispersed 30 minutes later.

The protesters carried placards and banners criticising the increase. No untoward incidents were recorded although several policemen were on standby.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said Malaysia was a nett exporter of petroleum and it still had a lot of fuel reserve.

"The 40% increase will definitely bring hardship to the people as the price of goods will go up," he said, expressing outrage that the matter was not bought up during the recent Parliament sitting.

Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang said the increase was too high, too steep and too sudden.

"We were initially told that the increase would only be in August. It’s only June, so why the increase?" he asked, adding that the increase would lead to spiralling inflation.

Noting that the Government's announcement on Wednesday also caused traffic chaos nationwide between 7pm and midnight, Lim warned that with the increase, crime rate would also go up.

On calls by the Prime Minister to the rakyat to change their lifestyle to cushion the increase, Lim said:

"It is the Cabinet that should be changed. Stop wastage and corruption."

State Higher Education, Science, Technology and Communications Committee chairman Thomas Su Keong Siong said it was not true that petrol in Malaysia was among the cheapest in Asean countries.

"How can it be the cheapest when we pay the highest car excise duties and there is toll on major roads," he said, calling for the abolishment of toll.

SYLVIA LOOI
Star Online
05/06/08