Najib’s ‘totally detached from reality’

PM and government are using statistical figures to justify price hike, trying to show the recent diesel and petrol hike has no impact on general Malaysians, claims Bandar Kuching MP

KUCHING: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his ministers are “totally detached from reality” and have no clue as to how much the hike in petrol and diesel prices is hurting the common man’s pocket, claimed DAP Sarawak.

“The Prime Minister is trying to portray an image that the recent diesel and petrol price hike by the BN government has no impact on the lives of the general Malaysians.

“The government is using statistical figures to justify the price hike, but this is not the reality” Chong told a press conference today.

Chong described as ‘unsatisfactory’ a reply by the Prime Minister during the ongoing Parliamentary sitting hen asked about the effects of inflation following the recent petrol and diesel price hike.

Najib’s reply, according to printouts distributed to reporters during the press conference, reads, “based on economical simulation, the impact of subsidy reduction at 20 sen per litre of petrol and diesel is projected to caused inflation or consumer price index (CPI) increment at around 0.8 percent”.

“This means, if the CPI growth rate for August 2013 is 1.9 percent, the reduction of petrol and diesel subsidy by 20 sen per litre from September 2013 is predicted to increase CPI for September to 2.7 percent.

“The key CPI components that would register increases are food and non-alcohol beverages indices at about 1.0 percent and the transportation index at around 3.0 percent.

“This is because both components are among the major contributors towards the CPI,” Najib’s said in the statement.

Speaking at a press conference here, Chong, who is also the Sarawak DAP chairman produced his own statistical figures in response of Najib’s.

“For an average household in Sarawak town areas, the conservative estimate of the monthly petrol consumption before the price hiks is RM200.

“With the 20 sen per litre hike, the additional expense on petrol consumption alone is RM40 per month. In a year, the additional petrol consumption alone is RM480,” said Chong.

Household expenses up

This, he said, was in addition to the increase in prices of food items and daily household consumer goods being borne by the common Malaysian.

Chong said for an average household, its expenses on food times, daily household consumer goods and children school-going expenses would take up at least RM50 daily before the price hike.

“With all the price increases of food items and household goods resulting from the price hike in petrol and diesel, it is a conservative estimate that the average household in Sarawak will be paying an additional RM2.50 per day.

“This will add up to additional expenses of RM75 per month. In a year, that average household will be paying additional RM900 in expenses as a result of the increase in the price of goods and food due to the petrol price hike,” said Chong.

He said with the additional RM480 per year for petrol consumption, an average household would have to spend at least RM1, 380 more annually as a result of the 20 sen price hike by the government.

“The Prime Minister and the BN ministers cannot feel the pinch in their pockets resulting from the petrol and diesel price hike because they are not required to pay for the petrol of their cars.

“They do not need to go to the markets to shop for food and daily goods.

“Most of all, whatever, the increase in price will not hurt them because such increase is too negligible to their wealth,” said Chong.

Baitulmal funds

Meanwhile, Chong’s special assistant, Abdul Aziz Isa also revealed at the press conference, that the Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) had reverted to his request for the charitable body’s financial statements from the years 2000 to 2012.

“The TBS reply was disappointing..according to the letter, Abang Mohd Shibli Nailie (TBS general manager) stated that TBS are not obliged to disclose their financial statements which have been duly audited annually by the National Audit Department,” said Aziz.

The letter from Mohd Shibli, dated September 23, was a reply for two letters written previously by Aziz.

“Why is TBS so reluctant to release its financial reports? Is there anything to hide? This is a public document and it is of public interest.

“The money collected annually by TBS comes from the zakat (tithe) payers.

“It is the people’s right to know where the money goes and how does TBS spends their money. TBS must be transparent and accountable to the public and be ready at all time to release its financial reports to any member of the public,” Aziz said.

Aziz recently questioned TBS’s alleged inclination of spending hundreds of millions of zakat collected from the faithfuls on mega-projects, instead of helping the poor and needy.

His stance was echoed strongly by the Bandar Kuching MP.

“Even for companies or banks, they are required to produce their financial statements to the shareholders who had contributed funds for them.

“The same should go for TBS, who collected zakat from the public. They must be under more stringent regulations to disclose their statements,” said Chong.

He considered TBS’ attitude (of not being obliged to disclose their financial statements) as ‘most unacceptable’.

“We will continue to pursue this matter of public accountability. We need to know how the public funds are being used,” said Chong.