KUALA LUMPUR – Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has brushed off criticism by political detractors in Perikatan Nasional (PN) over his comments in urging consumers not to support businesses that set exorbitant prices for their goods.
Doing so will help drive down prices of goods and return power to the consumers, reiterated Rafizi today in a Twitter thread today.
The Pandan MP then explained that rational people would eventually understand his message and its implications.
“(I’m) not afraid of opinions from the public.
“Insya-Allah (God-willing), rational people will understand and follow through.
“In a month’s time, the PN gang who questioned this will be in awe (of the results).
“(It is) similar to when they question other controversies…(we) have produced all the arguments, and people who are smart will understand,” he said in a Twitter post today.
Jgn takut dgn pandangan umum.
— Rafizi Ramli (@rafiziramli) December 25, 2022
Insya Allah rakyat yg rasional akan mula memahami & ikut serta.
Dlm sebulan lg, geng2 PN yg pertikai semua akan terduduk.
Sama mcm mereka terduduk soal2 lain yg asalnya kontroversial tp bila hujahnya dibentang satu persatu, rakyat yg cerdik faham.
Rafizi again explained that Malaysia needs a more elastic demand-and-supply ecosystem, adding that stakeholders must play their part.
“We need to spur elasticity in the supply chain as a price control mechanism.
“There is a lot of price data that can be used by the people. We will begin with this one.
“Insya-Allah, we will gradually restore the power of the consumers,” he said, as quoted by The Vibes’ sister publication, Getaran.
In the same Twitter thread, Rafizi said he has never backed down from having difficult conversations, even when he criticised former PKR leader Datuk Seri Azmin Ali in 2016 and spoke about Pakatan Harapan needing to focus to win 80 seats in the 15th general election.
The same goes with the issue of rising prices, said Rafizi.
Last Friday, Rafizi had urged consumers to do their part by buying cheaper goods to drive down prices.
He noted that while the ministry will be doing its part to manage inflation rates, the people should opt for cheaper options to send a message to traders.
“I’m not saying that you should boycott sellers (who averagely sell their products at higher prices), but there are a lot of substitutes that consumers can opt for instead.
“I myself do not buy expensive coffee. For me, RM3 for a coffee is considered expensive,” he said. – The Vibes, December 25, 2022
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