January 17, 2014
SIBU: The setting up of a special committee to address problems arising from the rising cost of living shows the seriousness of the government in looking after the people’s welfare.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stated this yesterday.
He was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement on Wednesday that the formation of the committee was to tackle the rising cost of living.
“I am happy to see the government taking this lead to ensure that the people’s welfare and needs are monitored. Only a caring and responsible government would take these initiatives,” he said.
Abdul Karim, who is PBB supreme council member, pointed out such issue was not confined to Malaysia, but was a global phenomenon caused by high costs of fuel, manufacturing, transport and services.
He added that Malaysia had been able to sustain all this because of the huge subsidies given by the government.
With the increase in population, cost and so on, he said the government needed to restructure its subsidy policy, resulting in the increased cost of living.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stated this yesterday.
He was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement on Wednesday that the formation of the committee was to tackle the rising cost of living.
“I am happy to see the government taking this lead to ensure that the people’s welfare and needs are monitored. Only a caring and responsible government would take these initiatives,” he said.
Abdul Karim, who is PBB supreme council member, pointed out such issue was not confined to Malaysia, but was a global phenomenon caused by high costs of fuel, manufacturing, transport and services.
He added that Malaysia had been able to sustain all this because of the huge subsidies given by the government.
With the increase in population, cost and so on, he said the government needed to restructure its subsidy policy, resulting in the increased cost of living.
“However, a caring government cannot allow the business communities to dictate pricing of essential commodities and need to oversee the increase does not become a big burden to society,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie described the initiative as a good move.
“This is because the committee will be able to ascertain the real causes and able to explain to the people the situation on the cost of living and goods increase,” Abu Seman reckoned.
Recently, Muhyiddin reportedly said the setting up of the committee was an extension of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) on tackling the cost of living, whose scope and functions had been widened, as was decided at the Cabinet Meeting on Jan 8.
Muhyiddin was also quoted to have said that among the roles of the committee was to coordinate the policies and programmes of the various ministries and agencies involved in easing the burden of the people.
He further reportedly said it would also collaborate with the Fiscal Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, particularly in scrutinising the government’s taxation policy and subsidy rationalisation.
According to Muhyiddin, the outcome of the study would be announced to the public through the various media to facilitate the people in making comparisons and to understand the actual reality on the price increase.
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