KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has floated a couple of ideas to address the rising prices of goods in the country.
According to him, the government’s move to prioritise the efforts in resolving the issue of the rising prices of goods is timely, as it might help ease the burden of the people.
“For example, high prices of bran contribute to the increase in the price of chicken.
“In fact, the government is now taking steps to float the price of bran/chicken for the sake of the people. This is the best short term solutions,” he said in his latest Facebook posting.
Sharing ideas for the long term benefit, Salleh said the increase in the price of bran is expected to be resolved with a large-scale corn planting program.
“In Sabah for example, we can rely on the agricultural industry to deliver the goods as we have vast land and a suitable climate. However, many things need to be looked into in terms of logistics, cost and labor to ensure it runs smoothly,” he said.
He said there are other methods that can be used by the government to control the increase in the price of goods.
This includes combating profiteering and monopoly activities.
“Stronger and more effective rules and legislation need to be in place so that there is no abuse of power,” he said.
In addition, Salleh, who is also Usukan assemblyman, urged the government to continue the provision of direct cash one-off assistance to targeted groups as announced by the Prime Minister.
“This is very helpful because the people’s monthly expenses are estimated to increase from RM100 to RM200 a month.
“Thus, to cover the increased cost of living, cash assistance is the fastest and most effective solution,” he said.
Touching on the economy, Salleh, who is also the Sabah Qhazanah Chairman, reminded the government not to focus too much on the export market because ‘it is the main factor contributing to low wages and dependence on foreign workers’.
“Therefore, imports and exports need to be balanced. The DOSM report last March recorded Malaysia’s export performance maintaining double-digit growth in February 2022, which increased 16.8 percent to RM102.3 billion, year in year out.
“In parallel with the increase in exports, imports increased 18.4 percent from RM69.7 billion in the previous year to RM82.5 billion,” he said.
Salleh is confident that with systematic and strong policies, the economy will continue to grow.
“The country will also recover and develop. The important thing is that all parties help each other and work together to develop the national economy,” he added.
