Make price for RON95 fair or we’ll demonstrate

Pakatan Rakyat says if the price of RON95 is not down to RM1.90 by December 1, it will hold a demonstration by month end.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs today issued an ultimatum to the federal government to reduce the cost of RON95 by December 1, failing which they will organise a demonstration demanding for what they consider the fair price for the fuel most used in Malaysia by regular folk.

Speaking to media at Parliament lobby, Rafizi Ramli, PKR MP from Pandan said, “The mechanism of the Automated Manage Float without subsidy and ‘supposedly’ market price is not fair to the public.

“The BN government is not only reimbursing the operation cost incurred by the oil companies, but guaranteeing a profit margin to these companies, upwards of 30 sen per litter.”

Rafizi claimed if petrol companies were getting this subsidy, it was only fair to extend the same assistance to the public and tax payers.

“Pakatan Rakyat is firm in its stance that if the price of RON95 is not reduced to RM1.90 come 1 December 2014, we will hold a big demonstration on 31 December 2014 to demand a fair price, based on MOPS (Means of Platts Singapore).”

Meanwhile Mohd Hatta Ramli of PAS echoed a similar sentiment and further stated that exporters of petrol around the world, such as Brunei and Saudi Arabia, shared oil revenues with its people in the form of subsidies and others privileges.

“But here, only the oil companies are sharing the revenues. Which is why our demand is very fair,” he said.

DAP’s Anthony Loke was also of the opinion that it was well within the recently tabled Budget 2015 for the government to assist the people with a subsidy for RON95.

“Where is the RM14 to RM15 billion allocation for fuel subsidies in Budget 2015 going, now that they have decided to scrap the subsidy?

“It (the subsidy allocation) has already been approved in Parliament, and now the government has to deliver,” said the Seremban MP.