KUALA LUMPUR: Critics of the power tariff increase should look into the facts instead of “listening with hatred”, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Listen based on facts, not on sentiments of hatred and anger,” he said.
He said this in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday during the Prime Minister’s Question Time slot in response to Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) who had spoken about the government’s “flip-flop” on the rise in electricity charges.
According to previous reports, the base electricity tariff in Peninsular Malaysia will go up by 14.2% to 45.62sen per kilowatt-hour from July.
During a Chinese New Year reception held by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) on Monday which was attended by Anwar, the Prime Minister explained that the hike was not 14% but just a “small increase”.
He also said then that the lower-income groups would be unaffected by the tariff review.
Yesterday, Anwar again stressed that the tariff hike would not affect 85% of households in the country but only the industries and the rich.
“The increase is for the industries and not the rakyat. I have also said that the increase is not 14% as what was announced,” he said.
“If we don’t tax the wealthy, where will the money come from to increase allocations for schools and hospitals?”
As such, he said a “reasonable tariff increase” must be accepted for the industries and the wealthy.
“Please listen carefully and not with anger,” he said.
