your say 'Corruption among those in government is also like opium, Najib. What do you intend to do about that - reduce it gradually?'

Fuel subsidies 'like opium', to be cut gradually

Onyourtoes: We agree subsidies must be managed properly. But the federal deficit as incurred today is not due to high subsidies per se. The federal budget was about RM200 billion. A subsidy of RM20 billion is only 10 percent of the budget. So, when we want to tackle the deficit problem we have to look beyond the subsidies.

Just look at the bloated civil service, are they not the recipients of subsidies? Some of them have very high salaries and perks, so you are actually helping some people to be rich, which is not what most subsidies intended - to help people so that they are less poor.

What is the big deal of fuel subsidies when I am paying exorbitant car prices and tolls which are my subsidies to all BN cronies like Naza, Plus, IPPs (independent power producers), Bernas, etc.

Ferdtan: When the global crude oil rises, Malaysia is happier as it is a net petroleum exporter. Najib Razak conveniently takes one sad side of the coin to harp on reduction of oil subsidies - which will greatly burden the rakyat - but what about the other side of the coin?

We are making more money from the crude oil price increase - don't the rakyat have the right to share from the increase in profits? Why is our PM so silent on this? Is it to say that Petronas' losses are the peoples' burden and Petronas' gains are the Najib government's windfall?

If the government still want to reduce the oil subsidies, then tell us in no uncertain term what they are planning to do with the excess profit. Please, no more wasteful projects to benefit Umno's cronies.

Kgen: How about cutting subsidies to the IPPs, payment to toll operators for not raising toll and obscene billions spent on buying defence equipment to protect against non-existant enemies?

These will be the last to be cut because they involve Umno cronies. Subsidies to the rakyat will be the first to be cut under the motto of "People First".

Ksn: Corruption is also like opium, Najib. What do you intend to do about that - reduce it gradually?

Changeagent: If Najib thinks that fuel subsidies are like ‘opium' to the economy, then the obscene profits made by our national toll companies are like ‘heroin' to the elite politicians and their cronies.

So Najib, how about some ‘you help us, we help you' deal here? Help us lower our traveling and transportation costs by abolishing all tolls. You kick your heroin habit, we kick our opium habit. How about that?

FairMind: "Good economic and macro-management entails you reduce subsidies on a gradual basis. Then you will allow market forces to allocate resources efficiently," said Najib.

Why allow market forces to allocate resources efficiently only on petrol which the poor rakyat consider it as a necessity? Why not remove subsidies to IPPs, APs and all the monopolistic GLCs such as Tenaga, Bernas, Telekom, water authorities, etc, and allow competition to allocate resources efficiently? There would have been even more savings and resources allocated even more efficiently if you remove these.

Why only remove things which are enjoyed by the rakyat, but those enjoyed by cronies are not removed? It looks like the rakyat are the only one who has to bear the burden but the cronies are stuffing their pockets with more money.

Dhammika: "Subsidy is like opium addiction." What a comparison. Subsidy is a government long-term responsibility to the eradication of poverty. The PM must look into the government system of wastages, leakages, etc.

Cost-cutting and a renewed job evaluation of civil service has to be done. There are definitely wide overlapping of duties in the civil service. Manpower has to be reduced for productivity reason. Stop corruption and return all squandered money in billions to the country. MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) must step up action for this reason. Illegal money that has flowed out to other countries must be recovered.

Public audit must be done on the Petronas accounts and the result should be tabled in Parliament. So don't just take the easiest step to reduce the budget deficit.

Terus: Fair is fair. The PM has got a job to do and that is to cut fuel subsidy across the board and it is wonderful to see him doing so, even if the decision may not be a popular one. Hopefully, the PM will be as committed and decisive in getting rid of the blatant corruption within his party and the country.

Malaysians Are Not Stupid: If Najib tells BN to reduce the level of corruption, I'm sure he will be out of job. That's why Sarawak's Abdul Taib Mahmud is still the chief minister and he can do nothing about it.

AnakPinang: I'd like to see Utusan Malaysia print this condescending remark by Najib. The subsidy is paid for by the resources and taxes of this nation. It is not out of the pockets of the Umno kleptocrats.

It is as if we are desperados and junkies for the measly handouts by way of subsidies that our taxes and Petronas pays for. Najib is making himself and his government of thieves out as heroes. Maybe he should talk about how the Umnoputras are bleeding this country dry.

Dark Archon: The Bible says, "the love of money is the root of all evil". And corruption, mind you, is a direct manifestation of that "love". Plug one of those many leakages, and I'm sure the government can save more than reducing subsidies. The submarines is a good place to start.

Voice: The rakyat will the first and the only ones to bear the brunt of this subsidies cut. Whereas those filthy rich are mostly remained untouched. This is where "rakyat didahulukan" comes into perfection.

Idico: How detach Najib is from the problem of the rakyat by calling fuel subsidies as opium. If the mass transportation is good, the people do not have to use their own car to go to work, but our mass transportation is so bad that most of the time there is no transport at all to travel from home to our workplaces.

TehTarik: It is easy to screw the rakyat, but a lot more difficult to house clean. Rather than implement reform measures like open tender for all projects, removal of the AP (approved permit) system immediately, and a Freedom of Information Act, Najib prefers to burden the rakyat further.

Tens of billions can be saved every year if rent-seeking and leakages are stopped. Why was SP Setia given prime land in Bangsar without tender? In Singapore and Hong Kong, all government land is openly tendered and the money goes to the state coffers.

Najib would rather sacrifice the rakyat, rather than members of the ruling elite. The lifestyle of the rich and famous cannot be compromised. Porches, LV bags, Caviar and Cartier appear to be more important than Perodua, nasi lemak or teh tarik . Once the subsidies are removed, the prices of everything including my favorite teh tarik will go up.

Just me: No more unnecessary taxes for cars. No more NEP. No more protectionism. No more purchases of submarines. No more unnecessary spending. Then, I will agree with no more subsidies.

Dood: Fuel subsidies are like opium? The same can be said for NEP. But will Umno/BN ever want to stop feeding the people this opium? I think we all know the answer to that.

 

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