TTF: Pakatan Harapan pledged to stabilise the price of petrol and introduce targeted subsidies in its electoral manifesto prior to the 14th general election (GE14).
Yesterday, the ruling coalition undertook to fulfil that pledge by announcing subsidies for car and motorcycle owners with 1,500cc and 125cc engines respectively during the tabling of the 2019 budget.
What pisses me off about the whole affair is the manner in which leaders of the federal opposition are criticising the budget without giving due credit to the Government of Malaysia (GoM).
Prior to GE14, Barisan Nasional repeatedly accused Pakatan Harapan of opposing everything under the sun for the sake of opposing and not the people.
Its leaders alleged that Pakatan propagated untruths and cast negative perception against government to mislead the people and turn them against establishment.
They were right on that count.
As a matter of fact, people like Tony Pua and Tian Chua spent a helluva lot of time confusing the rakyat by dishing out stylised figures and having people think that the country was going to the dogs, when in fact, it was not.
But I don’t see Barisan leaders practising what they preach.
While it is true that they’re not propagating untruths about government like Pakatan used to, they’re proving to be quite the spoilt sports by denying the GoM credit when it’s due.
They fail to understand that the objective is always to present a credible opposition to the GoM in hopes that people will change their minds and see that Barisan leaders have grown matured and can be trusted to lead again.
The first step in that direction is for these leaders to stop preaching on past glories and focus on the here and now.
After all, if you want the GoM to quit harping on the past, it is only fair that you yourself should do the same.
So I fail to see what BN hopes to accomplish by comparing the 2019 budget with the 2018 budget other than it being a “long-range campaign strategy” ahead of the 15th general election, which, if you ask me, is downright stupid.
What its leaders should be doing instead is critically examining the budget and seeking justifications from the GoM should they discover something amiss or areas that require further attention.
The fact that Pakatan delivered on its promise is something they can never deny and something they need to address on a positive note.
My only hope is that Saifuddin comes out publicly to provide concrete justifications as to why the conditions he listed (see news item below) are necessary in the spirit of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT).
KULIM: Owners of cars and motorcycles with 1,500cc and 125cc engines, respectively, must fulfil several criteria to be eligible for the RON95 petrol subsidy of 30 sen per litre.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the vehicles’ age and horsepower, as well as the owners’ income, would be taken into consideration.
He also said the government would ensure that the B40 income earners would benefit from the subsidy mechanism, which is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019.
“The eligible category depends on the vehicle owner’s income, the vehicle’s horsepower as well as its age.
“So, we need accurate information from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to identify the number of owners of old vehicles,” he said during a press conference here today.
Saifuddin also said his ministry will conduct a meeting with Finance Ministry officials on Nov 8 to identify the best method to implement the new subsidy mechanism.
“We also encourage the people to discuss and debate the matter. The views of the people, cabinet, oil companies and consumer associations will be taken into consideration.
“We have four more months to provide a win-win situation for all parties,” he added.
Yesterday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, in tabling the 2019 Budget in Parliament, said car owners would receive RON95 petrol subsidies limited to 100 litres, while motorcycle owners would get 40 litres.
RM2 billion will be allocated to the new initiative, which is expected to benefit around 4 million car owners and 2.6 million motorcycle owners.
Lim had also said the government would re-float the RON95 petrol price in the market via the Automatic Price Mechanism, in order to increase efficiency in the use of resources, among others.
Pakatan Harapan, in its manifesto, had pledged to give targeted petrol subsidies to private car owners with car engines of 1,300cc and below and to motorcycle owners with machines with 125cc engines, at 100 litres a month.
Source: NST Online
