MUAR: "I am a prime minister for Malaysians and not for foreigners," says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, defending his decision to reduce petrol prices for Malaysians while foreigners will pay the market price.
He responded to critics who claim the move is unfair to foreigners, who they say also contribute to the country.
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"They do not pay income tax here. No country in the world will allow foreigners to enjoy such benefits as locals," he said.
Anwar said this during the launch of the 2025 National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign at Dataran Tanjung Emas on Sunday (July 27), marking the beginning of the nationwide celebration.
Anwar stated that the six-sen reduction to RM1.99 would make petrol prices in Malaysia much lower than those in neighbouring countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.
"Foreigners can buy petrol at RM2.50 or RM2.60," he said, adding that people should elect leaders who do not exploit the country's wealth for personal gain or their families.
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He cited an example of a leader's child who has RM1.2bil and another family member with RM4bil.
"I am not vengeful or targeting old people. I just want the people's money to be returned.
"I am also championing for the Malays. So if you have taken RM2bil, return RM1.5bil instead of asking me to step down," he added, noting that this Merdeka month is a good time for everyone to reflect on the country.
