Malaysia: Anwar's ruling party faces online Indignation over 'falling' diesel price

MALAYSIA: While the election drums are beating in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is getting more negative reviews for the fuel policies in place. One example is when his party members boast of fuel price reduction. The backlash is imminent, and the comments from users on social media are devastating.

Last week, the Suara Keadilan, the organ of the PKR, the party of Anwar, hailed the reduction in fuel prices in Malaysia. It’s boasted: “FUEL PRICE DROPS AGAIN! The retail price of diesel in Peninsular Malaysia has been reduced by 30 sen to RM4.37 per litre!”

It was probably expecting some backing from party members on Facebook or a sudden change of heart from social media users.

However, the opposite happened.

On Facebook, one user wrote a missive full of sarcasm. The post says that it turns out fuel prices can fall when state elections are near, referring to the upcoming polls in Johor and Negeri Sembilan. The user noted that Anwar was claiming that fuel prices are high worldwide, but it can suddenly be lowered. ‘Just to fish for from the Malaysian public.”

“After voting day, that sodomite Anwar will claim the government can no longer afford to bear fuel subsidies, and the PHDAP Regime will say the government is forced to raise fuel prices according to market rates. Look how cleverly the PHDAP Regime plays its game to cheat the Malaysian people,” the post said.

Anwar made the reduction of fuel prices the centre of his policies, calling it reforms, and for at least a decade, his party supporters were hopeful he would take power and deliver on lower fuel prices, but as soon as he came to power, he diverted from his core reformasi policies. Fuel prices did not fall but instead stabilised under a new formula. This earned him nicknames and memes online.

Other users chipped in to lambast his party.

Another citizen said: “We want the diesel price in the Peninsula to be the same as the price in Sabah and Sarawak, only then is it fair… this current price is like a (Censored).. damn this Madani government..”

Others said that while the price of fuel fell for the week, the price of other items did not fall.

According to one, “The prices of goods aren’t going down anymore.. they are staying just as high as when they spiked in line with the diesel price reaching nearly RM7 per litre back then.” The post is testimony to what most Malaysians have been saying over the years.

That is, the price of all goods always goes up and never comes down, no matter what happens to fuel prices.

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