A hike in RON95 petrol and diesel prices by RM0.20 per litre by midnight tonight has prompted a wave of disappointment on Twitter, but one politician’s tweet seemed to add fuel to fire.

“Petrol prices have gone up, but it surely would not burden the rakyat as the only people with big cars are prominent figures who can afford it. Kampung people don’t have cars,” Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin tweeted.

Slammed within seconds, Bung has had to contend with a stream of annoyed Twitter users, including @ayeemin who scathingly said: “A car is not only for the rich. Today, it is a necessity. But having two wives is only for the rich.”

Bung courted controversy when he married actress Zizie Izette as his second wife in 2010.

Visibly annoyed, Twitterjaya has managed to take the news with a pinch of wry humour:

@anwaribrahim: Reformasi! Kita bantah!

@Panlusi: Anwar was sacked on Sept 2 (1998). Today (Sept 2, 2013) petrol prices are hiked by 20 sen. #Anwar’sfault

@HaziqAbdAziz: If you don’t like the price of petrol, you can get out of Malaysia! #TweetlikeanUmnominister

@klubkiddkl: So how many things have gone up in price since the 13th general election? #EndlessPossibilities

@napiez: Kini tiba (masa) membalas budi , kita potong subsidi! (Now's the time we repay good deeds by slashing subsidy)

@tenoq: If only we can use our own fats as fuel for our cars.

@mustakim_ismail: Prices have petrol, and all other things have gone up. Taxi fares, bus fares, but there is only one thing that will go down. The people will go down to the streets to demonstrate.

@choows: Money saved from subsidies are spent on the poor, the rich don't really feel the pain of 20sen per litre. What about the middle income group?

@Simtzetzin: Petrol price goes up 10.5 percent. Thank you Umno/BN. 1Malaysia, people first.

@twt_malaysia: Be grateful. Malaysia is a peaceful country.

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