UMNO AGM | Umno Youth wants to send a message to the party leadership and the government and that is, for them to stop the various increases in the prices of goods and services.

“We are not asking for the abolishment of all and sundry, but Umno Youth wants to send this message to the party leadership and the government - enough!

“Stop these price hikes, no more increases,” Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said in his policy speech at the Umno annual general assembly today.

Stressing that the Umno Youth wing was not populist, Khairy went on to stress that the wing was responsible.

“… When the people are laden with pressure from the rising costs of living, we can no longer stay silent,” he said.

Although some may question whether he, as a cabinet member, has spoken on the issue in the cabinet or otherwise, Khairy stressed how his stand has always remained the same.

“When there are proposals that can add to the people’s burden, I have always voiced out, with the hope that we can avoid the sufferings of the people. The highway tolls, for example,” he said.

Breaking point reached

And the same goes for other price increases, he said. Although the wing understood the need for these painful steps, Khairy added, reality is that the people can no longer take any more and have reached their breaking point.

“So this is enough. Do not add more to the people’s burden. Do not douse petrol on the flames of anger in people’s hearts.

“Umno Youth wants the government to stop all further price increases after this. Enough is enough,” he stressed.

Khairy added that the wing only wanted to hear good news in the next two years - because of the “savings” made through the goods and services tax (GST), subsidy rationalisation and increases in tariffs, fares and tolls.

“It is time that we use all the savings that we obtained, through these painful measures, to give something back to the people.

“Show that these rationalisation measures can bring good to them,” he stressed.

Khairy also expressed hope that the government would provide special discounts for youths who take public transportation.

“When highway tolls increase, we ask the young to take public transport. Now after the highway tolls were increased, Komuter, ERL and all kinds of other fares went up as well.

“What other choice do the people have? Ask them to travel by foot? In many other countries, youths are given the same discounts as senior citizens to enjoy various public facilities,” Khairy pointed out.

The people have been on the receiving end of various price hikes in the form of electricity tariffs, public transport fares and highway tolls.

These things have only added to the list of burdens of the people, especially after the implementation of the GST.

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