KOTA BHARU, April 18 — Eighty-five per cent of Malaysians are unaffected by market diesel prices because they still enjoy the government’s subsidised rates, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Only 15 per cent of people are affected by the fuel price increase caused by the current global energy crisis.
"I did a study yesterday. The high diesel price does have an impact. On whom? Fifteen per cent of the people.
"Eighty-five per cent of the people are not using diesel at the market price; they use subsidised prices. But what is being highlighted is the 15 per cent that are affected.
"The 85 per cent are not mentioned at all," he said during the opening ceremony of the new terminal at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport today.
Also present were Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government provides exemptions for school buses and certain strategic transport lorries.
He also raised an issue that was discussed at the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly: claims that fishermen are affected by rising diesel prices.
"Fishermen use subsidised diesel prices, not market diesel prices. So do not give that example," Anwar said.
Separately, the Finance Ministry provided an update on current fuel prices, confirming that subsidised RON95 under the Budi MADANI (BUDI95) programme remains at RM1.99 per litre for the period of April 16 to April 22.
For unsubsidised retail prices, RON95 and RON97 have each dropped by 25 sen per litre to RM4.02 and RM5.10 respectively, while unsubsidised diesel has dropped by 75 sen to RM5.97 per litre for the same period.
