KOTA SAMARAHAN: The federal government must maintain diesel subsidies in Sarawak to avoid penalising rural communities that rely heavily on the fuel for daily mobility, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development noted that while there has been dissatisfaction regarding diesel subsidy rationalisation in Peninsular Malaysia, the situation in East Malaysia remains distinct due to unique geographical and logistical factors.
“In Sarawak and Sabah, many people depend on four-wheel-drive vehicles such as the Hilux and other pick-up trucks, especially those living in rural and longhouse areas,” he said. “If diesel prices increase, it will directly affect them.”
Abdul Karim was speaking to reporters during the ‘Majlis Ramah Mesra Aidilfitri Kota Samarahan’ event at the Kota Samarahan Civic Centre (Dewan Suarah) today.
Addressing the current sentiment in Peninsular Malaysia, he noted that the federal administration has already detailed the rationale behind the recent hikes.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim explained that the increase in the Peninsular takes into account that various sectors, such as school buses and specific transportation industries, are already receiving other forms of targeted subsidies,” he said.
“However, I do not want to comment too much on the situation in Peninsular Malaysia. What is more important is ensuring that Sarawak is not adversely affected.”
For the week of April 2 to 8, the retail price of diesel in Peninsular Malaysia rose to RM6.02 per litre.
In contrast, the price in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan remains pegged at RM2.15 per litre.
Meanwhile, the price for RON95 remains at RM1.99 (subsidised) and RM3.87 (non-subsidised).
RON97 saw a 20-sen decrease, dropping to RM4.95 per litre from RM5.15 previously.
