COMMENT | In February 2010, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was then the domestic trade, consumer affairs and cooperatives minister, chaired a long and absorbing discussion on the removal of subsidies.

The room was packed with high-level government officers, and I was one of the few "outsiders" who were invited to discuss the issue, and there was diversity in the responses.

For too long, we have been used to and have adapted ourselves to the "subsidy mentality". For too long, the government has adopted the "rob Peter to pay Paul" theory. For too long, we have lived in comfort zones knowing well that the government would intervene to afford us "protection" when prices go up on the global commodity markets.

Increasing taxes or cutting subsidies are never...