PAS baffled by fuel hike when world prices down

Kuala Terengganu MP says this could be the result of depending on just oil and gas resources.

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS is baffled as to why Malaysia’s fuel prices went up when world oil prices went down. Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Barahin Shah Raja Ahmad said countries like the United Kingdom had reduced its oil prices by 0.25 sen per litre and India by 0.05 sen per litre.

That being the case, Raja Kamarul told a press conference at Parliament that he could not understand why the government increased the price of fuel over here.

He said, “The government should not only depend on oil and gas resources as the main source of income.

“About 90% of Terengganu’s wealth also originates from oil and gas resources. How are we supposed to be a developed nation if we rely on only one resource for revenue.

He urged the government to diversify and attain new ways of generating revenue for the nation.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Wahid Omar told Parliament that about two million households survive on an income of less than RM3,000 per month.

The Minister said the figure makes up 28.7% of the total seven million households in the country.

“The amount of household income is still low although there is a general increase of overall income for the lower 40% strata of households.

“This represents an average increase of 8% to 10% since 2009 based on studies conducted by the government. Efforts will continue to increase the average wealth of these households,” he said.