Media Statement
by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): DAP regrets the undemocratic act of press blackout imposed by the BN government on all unfavourable news of fuel price hike is a violation of basic human rights of press freedom and freedom of expression. Imposing a news blackout in the media is not the solution as the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will lose touch with what is happening on the ground.

DAP does not expect the powerful Internal Security Ministry to give free rein to newspapers to conduct a street poll or report the unhappiness and anger of the people towards the fuel hike after the Prophet Mohamad cartoon controversy. But imposing a news blackout on a socio-economic problem is contrary to Pak Lah’s assurances of a liberal and fair administration that promotes justice and human dignity.

DAP is willing to support any measures or aid proposed by Pak Lah to help the people overcome the effects of the price hike. However, for him to blame the opposition political parties for taking advantage of the situation is not only unreasonable but irresponsible as it was he and not opposition parties that implemented the fuel price hike.

Instead of blaming opposition parties, Pak Lah should understand the real reasons behind public anger that the hardships of the fuel hike and benefits of our country’s oil resources are not shared or borne equally. Such anger is very real until Perlis Menteri Besar recently offered RM 10,000 to university students who can give the best answer of the necessity for a price hike. No one won the prize.

There are at least 8 questions that Pak Lak must answer on the fuel price hike that no amount of news blackout or prizes of RM 10,000 for the best explanation can cover-up.

1.      Why is no action taken against irresponsible parties, including Ministry officials, who have benefited at least RM 300 million over the last 3 years when the amount of fishermen’s diesel subsidy (at RM 1 per liter) supplied rises nearly 3 times from 326 million liters in 2002 to 1.2 billion liters in 2005 yet the amount of fish caught to decline from 1.29 million metric tones in 2002 to 1.2 million metric tones in 2005?

2.      The failure of the government to show leadership by example when asking the people to change to a more moderate lifestyle yet refuses to practice what it preaches.

3.      The fallacy that Malaysians should count themselves lucky as we enjoy the lowest fuel prices amongst South East Asian countries (except Brunei), when we should not be comparing with oil importers but with oil exporters, where our fuel prices are amongst the highest.

4.      The people would not oppose removal of subsidies, which would prevent market distortion in the actual prices of our products, improve efficiency and competitiveness, provided the government alleviates the large social cost to the poor by sharing out the huge oil revenues and profits earned by Petronas as it is immoral and unjust that Petronas can reap huge profits whilst Malaysians suffer from the fuel price hike.

5.      The lack of any alternative energy strategies to face the country’s declining oil reserves where Malaysia would be a net oil importer by 2010.

6.      the failure to stop smuggling of cheaper diesel to neighbouring countries and action against those responsible for causing smuggling losses of RM 1.6 billion, 10% of the RM 16 billion annual fuel subsidies.

7.      Why Singapore, which is not an oil exporter can give S$ 2.6 billion (RM 7 billion) in direct cash to Singaporean poor workers and lower middle-class in its 2006 Budget announced on 17 February 2006, when Malaysia can not do so despite the RM 500 billion in profits earned by Petronas since its inception in 1971.

8. The lack of confidence that the people would benefit from the improvement in transportation system or development projects from the RM 4.4 billion savings in fuel subsidies as a result of the 30 cents fuel hike when they did not see such benefits or improvements from the billions of ringgit saved when the fuel price was previously increased by 25 cents for petrol and 50 cents for diesel since May 2004.

(11/03/2006)