KUALA LUMPUR – DAP lawmaker Teo Nie Ching has lambasted Perikatan Nasional (PN)’s organised food items sale in Pagoh last Friday as merely a cheap gimmick to attract voters for the upcoming Johor election.
The Kulai MP, in a statement today, said the sale held in PN chief Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s constituency will not give a continuous impact to the people.
Although Teo also expressed disappointment at the reality of the rising prices in daily necessities, she said it does not justify PN’s actions to organise such sales namely “Jualan Prihatin Rakyat”.
“In fact, it further exacerbates the situation because we normalise a culture, which takes the people’s votes lightly and burdens small industry players,” she said.
She was referring to a food sale organised by PN in Dataran Pagoh Jaya, Pagoh, Johor, which sold basic necessities in a set of 5kg of rice, 1kg of sugar, a chicken and a tray of eggs.
“It has also been advertised that a special price will be offered, and the people can save as much as RM20 from the purchase of the set.
“As a government component party, PN must come up with stronger proposals and policies to stop the surge in the prices of goods.”
In addition, she noted that more than 1.6 million commercial and industrial consumers will have to pay about 20% more for electricity bills of 3.7 cents per kilowatt-hour from February 1.
She questioned how will small industry players and traders be able to afford such steep electricity bills.
As a result of the hike in power rates, she said suppliers and small traders are left with no choice but to increase the price of goods to cover their costs, which in the end, burdens consumers.
“What is PN’s stance on the increase in electricity tariff?
“Wouldn’t stopping the increase in electricity tariffs better help the people in the long run?” she questioned.
She then reminded PN and its ministers to commit to plans that are more thorough so that suppliers and traders are not burdened.
“I must admit that such promotions could have a strong appeal to voters, but we have to assess the impact of such programmes in the context of low minimum wages, rising cost of living and costs that have to be borne by suppliers and small traders.” – The Vibes, February 8, 2022
