DAP's Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari criticised Putrajaya for refusing to give a straight answer over the amount of fuel tax it collected since the implementation of the managed float system.

Zairil said instead of disclosing this amount, the Finance Ministry in a parliamentary written reply merely said that due to the volatility of fuel prices, there were instances where the government was subsiding fuel prices and other times there were overpayments (by consumers).

The lawmaker said the answer was an acknowledgement by the government that the retail price of fuel did not necessarily reflect the actual price.

"When the retail price is higher (than actual price), the government makes a profit which can be described as a fuel tax.

"Therefore the rakyat has a right to be informed about the amount of 'tax' or profit the government made," he said.

Zairil urged the government not to delay in releasing this information.

"It's enough that the people are now being burdened by the goods and services tax (GST) and now we have to foot 'fuel tax'," he said.