KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya’s decision to slash funds aimed at standardising the prices of essential goods in Sabah and Sarawak with those in the peninsula has been criticised by PKR, who said the poor will be the ones to bear the consequences. Darrell Leiking (PKR-Penampang) and Wong Chen (PKR-Kelana Jaya) said the government’s 60% reduction of the funds for the 1Malaysia 1Harga programme is proof that Putrajaya’s claim of being a caring government is mere talk.

The programme is intended to ensure prices of sugar, cooking oil and flour in the two Borneo states are at par with the prices in Peninsular Malaysia. Speaking at the Parliament lobby yesterday, the two MPs pointed out that the allocation for the programme has been “dramatically reduced” from RM85 million this year to RM33 million.

Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah had said on Wednesday that the reduced budget was due to a drop in demand for cooking oil in Sabah and Sarawak.

“This answer is nonsensical,” Leiking said. Wong said the move is an indication that Barisan Nasional does not have the best interests of the Sabah and Sarawak people at heart. “It is the government’s fundamental duty to help the poor. The numbers do not lie, if they really cared for the poor, they wouldn’t do this,” he said.

Both lawmakers were unable to say how much the move will impact consumers in the two states as they did not have information on  demand for the three commodities. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 21, 2014.