PAS urges Madani to assist farmers with high costs due to soaring diesel prices

 

PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan has called on the government to urgently stabilise prices in agriculture, logistics, and food production. 

He further suggested that the government consider tax cuts for affected industries and immediately engage stakeholders to design effective mitigation measures.

He warned that rising diesel costs are severely impacting farmers, with input costs climbing up to 65%, risking reduced planting and declining rice output.

“PN takes seriously the pleas of farmers who are increasingly pressured by the continuous rise in diesel prices, which raises planting costs and threatens domestic food production,” he said.

“According to the Malaysian Paddy Farmers Brotherhood Association (PeSAWAH), farmers have limited capacity to absorb cost increases of more than 50 percent for plowing or harvesting,” Takiyuddin continued. 

According to him, overall costs, including fertiliser and pesticides, have risen up to 65 percent, increasing the risk of delayed planting seasons, reduced planting areas, and declining local rice production.

“This development could jeopardise national food security and increase dependence on imports,” he said. 

PeSAWAH reported that farmers cannot absorb such increases, raising fears of food insecurity and greater reliance on imports. 

Malaysia’s rice self-sufficiency has already fallen to 52.9% in 2024, far below the 75% target for 2025. 

Takiyuddin stressed that without immediate intervention, farmers may halt planting, while other sectors like transport, fisheries, and SMEs also face mounting cost pressures.

Meanwhile, PAS Chief Information Officer Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said, “The views of PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang that Malaysia has no reasonable grounds to raise domestic fuel prices should be assessed objectively and based on current realities.” 

In a statement published in Harakah, he said that, with the cost of living continuing to rise, this issue is no longer merely about price adjustments, but rather touches on a larger question: how well the country manages its strategic resources to protect its people.

He pointed out that as an oil and gas-producing nation, Malaysia is in a highly strategic position. Petroleum revenues have long been one of the government’s main sources of income. 

Therefore, the basis of the debate is not about capability, but about the policy choices made by the government. 

“The question is, why must domestic prices be tied entirely to global market fluctuations when the country has the advantage of managing them more equitably?” he asked.

Fadhil added that the current approach, which relies too heavily on world market prices, reveals several weaknesses. 

It ignores the fact that many other producing countries differentiate between export and domestic prices to protect their local economies. — Focus Malaysia