JOHOR POLLS | Johor DAP vice-chairperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali questioned whether Onn Hafiz Ghazi believes Umno ministers in the federal cabinet lack understanding of the fuel subsidy issue following the caretaker Johor menteri besar’s criticism of Budi95.
He said Onn’s continued attacks on the policy appeared to ignore the fact that several Umno top brass are themselves part of the federal government.
“What’s even more puzzling is that his party has seven ministers in the federal government. And they are not ordinary leaders either. They include the party president, deputy president, and vice-president.
“Does Onn think all these Umno ministers are stupid? Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Johari Abdul Ghani, Khaled Nordin, Azalina Othman Said, among others.
“If there are weaknesses in its (Budi95) implementation, then raise it through discussion. Not by turning them into public attacks as though they themselves are not part of the government,” he said in a statement today.
Sheikh Umar was responding to Onn’s recent call for the federal government to abolish the monthly Budi95 quota, arguing that the mechanism places an unnecessary burden on the people.
According to Oriental Daily, the Johor BN chairperson said complaints about fuel prices and the rising cost of living were among the issues most frequently raised by Johoreans during his campaign.
He said many felt the 200-litre monthly RON95 quota was insufficient, while restrictions on diesel use by private businesses had driven up operating costs.
“As a result, businesses pass these costs on to consumers, leaving the public to bear a double burden,” he was quoted as saying.
Onn further questioned why the federal government continued to impose fuel restrictions on the public and businesses despite stabilising fuel prices.
“I believe we need to stop these restrictions,” he added.
‘Thank Madani for Budi95’
However, Sheikh Umar said the fundamental question was whether Onn truly understood the rationale behind Budi95, which was introduced in September 2025 after the government considered various options for fuel subsidy reform.
He said economists, including the World Bank, had proposed floating fuel prices in line with market rates, but the government opted for a targeted subsidy mechanism to continue protecting the public.
“When the West Asia crisis drove up global oil prices and disrupted global supply chains, Malaysians did not have to bear the full impact of those increases.
“Without a mechanism like Budi95, the public would have faced much steeper petrol price hikes,” he said.
Sheikh Umar also claimed that Onn frequently skipped the menteri besar and chief ministers’ meetings with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, which he said could explain his lack of understanding of some government policies.
Simultaneously, Sheikh Umar stressed that the Madani government has never claimed its policies are perfect, but has remained open to public feedback and continuous improvements.
“What is strange is that when diesel subsidy targeting began in 2024 and Budi95 was introduced in 2025, we did not hear objections like these from Onn,” he said.
He added that Johor needs leadership that offers solutions rather than merely repeating political rhetoric. - Mkini
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