By Social Activist Remy Majangkim
KOTA KINABALU: In recent weeks, there has been a growing discontent among the people in Malaya following the removal of the diesel subsidy. The decision was made to address the persistent issue of subsidy leakage through cross-border sales, the government argues.
Significantly, Malaysia has inherited a substantial financial burden, with a debt amounting to RM 1.5 trillion from the previous government due to the 1MDB scandal. Reports indicate that the government allocates a sum of RM 80 billion annually in subsidies, leading to an imbalance between revenue and spending.
The opposition argued and demanded that the diesel subsidy removal should also apply to the Borneo States.
So I pose these questions to the ordinary people on the street.
1) Should the diesel subsidy be extended to the Borneo States?
2) How will it impact your daily lives with such an increase from RM 2.15 to RM 3.35?
“Out of 20 people on the street, 12 stated that the diesel subsidy should remain as it is. Some argued that the price should be at least RM 1.80 per litre, as the cost of goods has increased. Since we depend on our four-wheel-drive vehicle to move around, the increase will overall affect agricultural costs and cash in hand.”
“On top of that, our roads are not on par with road conditions in Malaya,” she said. “You can drive a Perodua Kancil from Johor Baharu to Kuala Lumpur with ease; try to do that on a Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu,” she added.
It was also highlighted by the people during the Agong “Kembara Kenali Borneo” on the road condition in Sabah. People line up on the street, rain or shine, to convey their message to the Royal Couple.
“Sabahan and Sarawakian have to pay an additional RM 3000 to RM 4000 for the same vehicle enjoyed in Malaya.” “Is that fair?” one trader said.
On top of that, Sabah is the largest contributor of oil in Malaysia, located on our continental shelf. The reserve oil in Borneo stands at 1.56 billion barrels, with the current Brent oil price at USD 625.15 per barrel. That is an interesting calculation to be made.
In conclusion, it is political and ritual suicide for the Federal Government to extend the removal of diesel subsidies in the Borneo States. We still lack in many areas of development, despite the oil coming from us.
