18 November 2008: Fuel prices dropped to RM 2.00 per litre

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Shahrir says Malaysians are greedy

www.malaysia-today.net

Shahrir says Malaysians are greedy

Posted by admin
Tuesday, 25 November 2008 18:03

KUALA LUMPUR (The Malaysian Insider), Nov 25 — Datuk Shahrir Samad, the minister who has faced the brunt of criticism over oil prices, courted even more controversy today when he suggested Malaysians were greedy if they expected subsidies to continue.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, whose job is to regulate prices, said subsidies are meant to only cushion the burden of high prices.

"When prices come down it will just be greed on the part of consumers to insist that they be subsidised," he said.

Shahrir's comments come as more Malaysians have accused the government of reneging on the promise to maintain a 30-sen subsidy on petrol and diesel.

While the government continues to subsidise diesel, it has stopped subsidies on petrol sales.

A quirk in the method in which pump prices are set and the steep drop in global oil prices have now resulted in the government collecting a "tax" through revenue gained from the difference between pump prices and the actual market price.

"It is not that we are not keeping our word. It is because the drop in prices has been faster than the 30-sen subsidy," he said.

He said it would be destructive to bring down prices quickly, but he offered no explanation for such an argument.

The minister also brushed aside suggestions that consumers were now subsidising the government.

"The Government collects taxes. It is Government revenue. When the price is high, that is when the Government extends it as subsidy," he said.

Oil prices have played a major part in Malaysian politics over the past year.

The opposition successfully used rising oil prices as an effective weapon against the ruling Barisan Nasional government in the March general election.

Playing on widespread dissatisfaction over rising oil prices then, the opposition succeeded in wresting five state governments and also denied for the first time in the country's history BN's two-thirds parliamentary majority.

While pump prices have fallen sharply recently because of a softening global economic outlook widespread unhappiness remains because the government has effectively removed subsidies on petrol sales.
 
ess530i;375985 said:
http://www.malaysia-today.netShahrir says Malaysians are greedy

"He said it would be destructive to bring down prices quickly, but he offered no explanation for such an argument."

Oh really, you think so Mr.Shahrir?

I suppose bringing up the prices quickly wasn't as destructive right?
 
ess530i;375985 said:
www.malaysia-today.net
KUALA LUMPUR (The Malaysian Insider), Nov 25 — Datuk Shahrir Samad, the minister who has faced the brunt of criticism over oil prices, courted even more controversy today when he suggested Malaysians were greedy if they expected subsidies to continue.

I don't care what the minister or anyone else says. I paid exorbitantly high taxes when I bought my UDMs, pay hundreds of RM in road tax every year and so I expect cheap fuel. As I have always said, I don't mind paying real-world prices (ie, no subsidies) for fuel, if I also get to pay real-world prices (ie, no exorbitant taxes!) for cars, car parts and road tax.

So long as there are super-high taxes on cars making then extraordinarily expensive, I expect heavily subsidized fuel making them extraordinarily cheap!

Ok.. rant over :D
 
Datuk Shahrir Samad should be shot up his arse!

His comments are solely without facts and he is getting personal. Guess his mistresses are not giving him any!

Somebody should catch him by his scrotal sack and ask him shouldn't the prices be lower than RM 2 a litre? Who is subsidizing who now, assh*le?
 
I wish the gas price can be RM4. So people stop buying big cars. And more research on alternative energy. This could raise the price for CPO too, so everyone can benefit.
After nearly 100 years of cheap energy from fossil fuel, is time for human to really find an alternative.

I for one have no problem in high import tax on cars. Look at the result. More manufacturers are building factory here to get tax break. More factory mean more job. And less import/export deficit. (imagine $$ going overseas if everyone buy Japanese/Europe cars). And we enjoy one of the lowest unemployed rate in the region.

You said Proton/Perodua is a joke ? Malaysia have the highest number for automobiles per capital in the world. Mean more people can afford having a car. This is not a joke. This is an archievement.
 
ezain;376118 said:
yes...it is rm 2.45/lit

Those days, it was about RM0.10/lit more than the usual petrol. wonder if shell will bring this down to be as such?
 
MSport;376122 said:
Those days, it was about RM0.10/lit more than the usual petrol. wonder if shell will bring this down to be as such?

"Those days" don't exist anymore bro :)
 
To have cheaper gas or oil we need to build more refineries ... as it is out of 4-5 refineries in Malaysia Petronas only owns two if i'm not mistaken ...
 
B33mEr;376262 said:
To have cheaper gas or oil we need to build more refineries ... as it is out of 4-5 refineries in Malaysia Petronas only owns two if i'm not mistaken ...

I know of 5 refineries in Malaysia:
1 - Petronas (Kertih)
2 - Petronas (Melaka) - JV with Conoco (at least it was originally a JV, now dunno leh)
3 - Exxon (PD)
4 - Shell (PD)
5 - Shell (Lutong)
 
^^^ thanks bro traveler for the info :)
Malaysia is quite funny cos even tho we are net exporter for crude oil we are importing refine petroleum due to the lack of refineries in Malaysia that can support our oil consumption ... the argument and causes is quite lengthy and mechanism and economics of oil & gas is quite complex to say the least ... hence one of the main reason why the government is subsidising our petroleum needs all these years ... People would be surprise of the facts of our O&G industry but hence i'm not in the industry rather just a spectator ... what i know is very little we need people in the O&G to explain the reasons, the why, the who and the what in the industry ...
 
Malaysia imports oil from the Middle East because most of the local output are exported due to its lower sulphur content and hence a higher premium for such oil which is also called Sweet Crude.

Cheers
 
it's much more than that bro ... if i'm not mistaken Malaysia imports refine petroleum not crude oil
 
From what I remember (I used to be in O&G industry):

Petronas Kertih refines crude from offshore Terengganu
Petronas Melaka refines sour crude from the Mid-East
Shell Lutong refines crude from onshore/offshore Sarawak and/or Brunei.

Not sure about the 2 PD refineries, but I suspect they refine sour crude from elsewhere as there's no crude production on the west coast.
 
Any news of another round of price cut??? There were speculation of another cut before the end of the month....
 
On Monday (1st Dec), there's supposed to be a meeting to determine whether to continue with our current pricing system or to float the price or whatever.
 
fabianyee;376472 said:
Any news of another round of price cut??? There were speculation of another cut before the end of the month....

I thought I read somewhere prices will drop another 0.15 sen per litre by the end of this month.

Fingers crossed.
 
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