The government is often blamed for the rising cost of living despite it having little say over the price of most goods and services, said Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani.

"(The government) is the best punching bag. Anywhere you go in the world, if you have any problem (with rising cost of living), you punch the government. That's normal," he said in an interview with Malaysiakini and Free Malaysia Today yesterday.

The government can only control and subsidise a selected list of basic goods to shield the public from inflationary pressure, he explained...