KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition lawmakers questioned the establishment of yet another government task force to address rising living costs, saying the move will result in unnecessary expenditures and little gain.
Speaking to The Vibes, the MPs expressed bewilderment at the special inflation task force announced on June 29, calling it redundant and unlikely to produce effective solutions for the betterment of the people.
Amanah vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar asked how the government can justify forming a new task force when committees previously formed to address the same issue have yet to produce substantial results.
“We already have committees related to the rising costs of living, such as the National Recovery Council and the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol),” the Pokok Sena MP pointed out.
“What have the strategies they have come up with amounted to, that we need another special task force tasked with handling inflation?”
Saying that the cabinet members part of the task force have “no brains”, Mahfuz suggested the group – dubbed the “Pasukan Khas Jihad Tangani Inflasi” (Battling Inflation Task Force) - is a mere smokescreen by the government made to appease the people.
“The government has hit a dead end so they resort to something that will emotionally appeal to the rakyat,” he said.
“They use the term ‘jihad’, which gives the impression of the government actually fighting for the people, but it is mere rhetoric as the task force will only see more money spent on paying for members’ allowances and expenses during their twice-weekly meetings.”
Noting that the task force had been announced just hours after the government increased the ceiling price of regular chickens from RM8.90/kg to RM9.40/kg for Peninsular Malaysia, he expressed confusion over what the task force will be “fighting”.
“They allow prices to go up and then they want to fight the costs of goods going up? What are they waging a jihad against?” he asked.
Commenting on the fact that Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa is heading the task force, he said the choice of leader hints at Putrajaya’s shortage of capable ministers to deal with the matter.
“Inflation issues have yet to be resolved despite them electing relevant ministers to come up with strategies, so now they have fallen back on a minister who can just talk for the task force,” he alleged.
Mahfuz also questioned why ministries more directly linked with the issue had been denied the chance to head the taskforce, saying: “Does the government not trust ministers from the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry or the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to lead the team?”
Members of the task force include Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.
Similarly, DAP legislator Charles Santiago lamented the lack of proper representation from relevant stakeholders in the new task force, saying he has little confidence in a move that symbolises the “tattered” condition of the nation’s financial planning.
“I don’t have much hope or expectations for this task force. The members are already in the cabinet, what new strategies can they provide?” he said.
“We already have similar committees, so the formation of yet another one shows that our nation’s economic management is in tatters.”
Santiago added his belief that Annuar’s appointment as the task force’s head is related to internal disputes within Umno, theorising that the Ketereh party chief had been put in the position to be Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “mouthpiece to whack” party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“His (Annuar) ministry does not involve economic issues, what is the purpose of selecting him as the leader for the task force? This leads people to think that he has been put there to spar with Zahid,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil posed several questions regarding the task force.
“How does this task force coordinate its activities or policy decisions with the work of Naccol? Since both are parked under the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, why was this task force not just absorbed into Naccol instead of creating another structure?”
Besides expressing concern over whether members will be given special allowances, Fahmi also queried how many meetings the task force will have to conduct before firm and clear action is taken by the government.
“Will it be too late by then to stem the rise of inflation?” – The Vibes, July 3, 2022
