Call on Putrajaya to maintain RON95 subsidy for Sarawak
KUCHING (July 8): Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak has urged the federal government to maintain the RON95 subsidy for Sarawak.
Its treasurer Wong King Yii said Putrajaya should take into account Sarawak's unique context before applying a 'one size fits all' policy across the nation.
'Sarawak is an oil-producing state. Our land and resources have contributed significantly to Malaysia's petroleum industry. It is only reasonable that Sarawakians enjoy continued access to subsidised fuel as part of the returns from our contribution,' he said in a statement yesterday.
According to Wong, Sarawak was not asking for special treatment but rather fair treatment based on the reality on the ground.
Wong said any national policy should reflect regional differences, and the federal government must ensure subsidy reform 'does not come at the expense of ordinary Sarawakians'.
He also noted that petrol consumption in Sarawak was relatively lower than Peninsula.
Given this, he said maintaining the RON95 subsidy in Sarawak would not have a major impact on the national subsidy bill, but would go a long way in easing the cost-of-living burden on Sarawakians—especially those in rural and remote areas.
In addition, Wong said Sarawak's public transport system was severely under-developed compared to Peninsular Malaysia, where places like the Klang Valley have Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and other public transit systems.
'In contrast, Sarawak lacks even basic alternatives with no trains and extremely limited bus services. For most Sarawakians, owning a car is not a choice, but a necessity—this makes fuel price increases especially painful and unavoidable,' he said.
Wong also called on the federal government to discuss future subsidy reforms with the Sarawak government and local stakeholders. Dapsy Sarawak fuel subsidy lead RON95 Wong King Yii
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