SHAH ALAM, APRIL 24: Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s statement that the cost of living in Malaysia is the lowest among Asean countries are meaningless if the people continue to be burdened by the price increases and the abolition of various subsidies.
KEADILAN information chief, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said people are wise to distinguish the pain to bear the cost of living compared to the previous period, although it is trick with recognized international survey.
He said that recognition to compare prices of goods and services in 133 cities around the world did not reflect the realities of life.
“Najib’s statement called for a range of programmes to drive revenue and reduce the price of goods is only rhetoric that is repeated.
“What did the Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) did during their administration because people’s incomes are not rising and what have the Najib government’s efforts to reduce the price of goods?” He said in a statement.
Syed Ibrahim said during the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) Najib continues to fail to solve the people’s burden, especially financial scandals of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has raised the ire of many, while a lot of corruption continues to spread.
He said Najib who wanted to turn Malaysia into a high-income developed country also significantly not realistic, instead it is contrary to the reality of the current economic life of the people.
“The recognition is contrary to the findings of the Department of Statistics released on April 19 and saw various component indexes experienced a level of price increase of nearly 30 percent.
“Transport components record the highest at 23 percent, followed by the food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.1 percent), while the componentof housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased (2.1 percent).
“(Worse) overall inflation indicator rose 5.1 percent, while core inflation, which excludes food and fuel prices are constantly changing, at 2.5 percent,” he said.
Earlier, Najib said, the cost of living in Malaysia is the lowest among Asean countries according to the survey cost of living around the world in 2017 by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Najib who is also the Finance Minister, said it was the result of efforts undertaken by the government in reducing the burden of the cost of living in the country.
Najib not grounded in reality
