PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan wants Putrajaya to impose a ceiling on the retail prices of petrol, following the November increases that put the prices at the highest for this year.

"The government should impose a ceiling on the retail prices of petrol and the government should also provide subsidy for the additional cost beyond the ceiling price.

"This is because the determination of petrol prices based on the controlled float system exposes the rakyat to continuous price hikes," Nasrudin said in a statement today.

The monthly retail fuel prices are determined based on the average global crude oil price and the country's currency strength in the preceding month.

However, Nasrudin said the government should also factor in inflation and the country's reserves in determining fuel prices.

He said this is in consideration of the people's burden.

"The people are facing a challenging economic situation due to the rising cost of living after the implementation of the goods and services tax and the reduction of subsidy on necessities," he said.

The government announced an increase of 15 sen for RON95, RON97 and diesel, which saw their prices increased to RM1.95, RM2.30 and RM2.00 per litre respectively.