Clarification of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob that he did not mean all Chinese traders but only against “stubborn Chinese traders” who refuse to cut prices does not make him sounds any less racist.
As a matter of fact, most traders, regardless of their race, have not lowered prices since drop in fuel costs. Yes, we did not see Vincent Tan lower the price of his businesses, but did Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, Mokhzani Mahathir and Ananda Krishnan lower the price of their products? So, why single out Chinese traders?
I as a consumer also would very much like to exercise my power to compel businesses to lower prices. And if I could, the first company I would like to boycott would be TNB, as it has refused to lower the electricity tariff despite the fact that coal price has dropped by 21% since January 2014. However, it is obvious that boycotting TNB is not an available option unless I am prepared to live without electricity. So, who allows TNB to monopolize the electricity market in the first place? Or we should perhaps boycott the Prime Minister who has agreed with TNB not to lower the tariff?
Ismail Sabri Yaakob and BN government should take full responsibility for their failure to control price hike, and not making Chinese traders their scapegoat.