Federal Territory BN Youth's plan to give out free petrol has exposed the ruling party's insincerity, as they were responsible for raising fuel prices, said a DAP leader.

Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong said Pakatan Harapan should take heart that BN had “copied” their idea of helping the needy by giving out free petrol out of the representatives' own pockets.

“(Harapan's free petrol) was a good way to highlight the problem of petrol hikes that have been getting higher since January.

“Our effort has not only succeeded in helping motorcyclists, but also 'shamed' Umno to the point their own representatives are forced to copy our move by giving out free petrol,” said Liew in his speech for the Pakatan Harapan-Bersatu convention in Kulai today.

“More than that, this effort has exposed to the people how insincere Umno-BN is, because they were the ones who raised the price of fuel, and is now pretending to care by giving out limited free petrol,” he said.

Liew was speaking of a need for Harapan to focus their election strategy and messages on addressing the needs of the poorer classes.

On Thursday Bernama reported from April onwards, Federal Territories BN Youth wing will be giving free petrol to motorcyclists at every parliamentary constituency in the FT every month.

Its chief, Mohd Razlan Mohammad Rafii said the assistance was to ease the burden of the people, especially the motorcyclists.

Last month, DAP's Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng gave out free petrol in his constituency as part of his Chinese New Year programme.

'Appeal to rural voters'

Liew said such initiatives were a good example of how the opposition should penetrate the non-urban areas, noting how their manifesto for the last general election failed to strike a chord with the rural and poorer constituencies.

He said promises at that time to reduce fuel and car prices, write off PTPTN loans and abolish tolls may have won them urban votes, but had little impact on the rural voters.

“Many Malaysians still don't own cars and there are far more who use motorcycles.

“Not every citizen has the chance for university education. Not all citizens live in the Klang Valley that is full of highway tolls.

“A majority live in semi-urban and rural areas. Therefore Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto for GE13 did not appeal to these groups,” said Liew, who is Kluang MP.

Therefore, he said, Harapan and Bersatu have to collectively formulate policies that can truly be understood by and are relevant to the needs of voters in both urban and rural areas.

“As such, our common policies that we will formulate must be in depth, convincing and must truly empathise with the conditions and aspirations of the people,” he said.