KOTA KINABALU: The uncontrolled soaring prices of good and services alongwith the latest announcement by the Sabah Stationery and Books Association that stationeries will cost 20% to 30% more in the new academic year has got Sabahans begging for mercy.
Pleading for a reprieve on behalf of the poorest state in Malaysia, Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan said if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was really comcerned about the people of Sabah and Sarawak lagging behind in development and services then he should provide this relief for its people.
His Christmas request to Najib is that Sabah and Sarawak be exempted from price hikes on petroleum products, sugar, electricity and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which comes into force in 2015.
“Sabah and Sarawak should be exempted from the price hikes on petroleum products, sugar, electricity and the intended Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other further intended hikes.
“In Sabah, the recent 20 sen hike in petrol and diesel prices has caused havoc to Sabahans with wholesale price increases across the board in many instances of more than 10%.
“Higher sugar prices has also contributed another round of price increases in related products.
“The 15% hike in electricity tariffs effective 1st January 2014 that was ironically announced by a federal Minister from Sabah is expected to cause another round of price hikes.
“Before the people can recover, the 6% GST scheduled to be implemented in 2015 will bring untold damage to the ordinary people in Sabah and Sarawak,” said Kitingan said in response to Najib’s statement that government would do everything possible to minimise the impact of the price hike on the people.
Kitingan commended the Sarawak state government’s decision not to hike the electricity tariff in Sarawak.
“Sarawakians will be spared the electricity hike thanks to the Sarawak government’s control and refusal to agree to the hike in electricity tariffs for Sarawak.
“In that sense, the Sarawak government is more caring of Sarawakians than the federal government,” he said.
Umno-BN owes Sabah, Sarawak
Kitingan, who is also Sabah STAR chairman, warned that irreparable damage would be done to the Sabah economy and the daily lives of Sabahans, if the increases go out of hand.
He reminded the Umno-led Barisan Nasional that it owed its current power and position in Putrajaya to the seats contributed by Sabah and Sarawak BN.
“Without them, there would have been a new federal government and a new Prime Minister of Malaysia,” he reminded, adding that Petronas raked in RM17.88 billion in oil revenue from Sabah and another RM35 billion from Sarawak last year.
“In 2014, Sabah will contribute another RM26.6 billion to Petronas and the federal government and this will rise to RM50 billion in 2015/2016. Sarawak will contribute another RM45 billion in 2014 alone.
“Both Sabah and Sarawak are rich nations but their people are robbed of their wealth.
“Therefore, as a small gesture and token, Sabahans and Sarawakians deserve to be exempted from the recent hikes and the imposition of GST,” he argued.
Kitingan also questioned Najib’s plan to set up of a Laboratory on Living Cost under the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) of the PM’s Department.
“If the government needs such a Lab, it only shows that the government is not facing reality and is either sleeping, day-dreaming or in another world for rich people only,” he said.
More hikes next year
Meanwhile Sabah Stationary and Books Association president Dr Ling Hie Sing said the industry players were forced to readjust the prices of stationeries by 20% and 30% in the new academic year because of cost increases as a result of the implementation of the minimum wage policy which begins in January 2014 and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
He said another contributing factor was escalating transportation costs, especially from China to Sabah.
In TAWAU it was reported that Sabah Office of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism had recorded 400 cases of violation of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 so far.
State Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Jainab Ahmad Ayid said Kudat recorded the highest amount of compound fines at RM9,621 from the total of RM42,421 compound fines collected this year, involving 264 cases.
“Kota Kinabalu recorded 108 cases, followed by Tawau (52), Tuaran (48), Sandakan (47), Kudat (39), Beaufort (35), Keningau (29), Lahad Datu (29) and Semporna (13),” she said.
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