Malaysia fuel price debate

Malaysia, one of the members of the Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had recently announced a petrol price hike of 40%, from RM1.92 a liter to a shocking RM2.70 overnight, sending the entire nation into distress and adds up to the political uncertainty that shocked the nation after the Barisan National Coalition, ruling party's lost of 5 states to the opposition party PKR; the worst defeat in 50 years of history.

Anwar Ibrahim, the ex Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, who was ousted in 1998 following a challenge to his mentor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 'dictator' (who had ruled Malaysia for 22 years, making him amongst the longest 'serving' ruler in the world) who had joined hands with Pakatan Rakyat, in condenming the ruling party's move had claimed that he would lower the price of petoleum once taking over the government by September 2008 and becomes Prime Minister; was repeatedly bombarded by the News Minister Ahmad Shabery for 'nonsense' and challenge Anwar Ibrahim to a debate where if defeated, Ahmad Shabery would resign.

The war of words came after the nation's outpour over the governments decision to rise petrol by 40%, the government claimed that it would went bankcrupt if they continue to subsidy petroleum. However the nation argues that Malaysia is an oil exporting country, and since Malaysians have enough petroleum in its own backyard, why would Malaysians need to pay that much for petroleum, and that why would the government need to subsidize the nation for buying it's own petroleum on world market price?

The problem went further with conspiracies such as the company that owns all of Malaysia' oil field, is not a government own company, it is in fact a private limited company owned by various party members of the current ruling party. Hence Malaysian's rage of arguing that the government is taking people's tax money to buy petroleum at market price for a private limited company owned by the ministers themselves, is not entirely unspoken for.

Malaysia is currently the only OPEC country that sells petroleum at market price in it's own backyard, at RM2.70 per liter it is at least 170% more expensive than the second most expensive OPEC country.

The debate, with Ahmad Shabery, commonly known as no where near Anwar's caliber, produced some joking debate dialogues:

Shabery :"The government needs to stop subsidizing to reserve cash flow, and when the nation's petroleum was exhausted, we would use the money to buy petroleum from other countries, this is to help when Malaysia turns from a net exporter to net importer of Petroleum."

Anwar :"As far as I can see, Singapore and Japan, who had no petroleum reserves of their own, are doing just fine."

Shabery :"The stopping of subsidizing is in part to avoid benefiting the rich, hence we have the RM625 rebate for car owners with engine displacements below 2000cc."

Anwar :" May I ask, how much cc are MAS planes?" "Why are you all subsidizing MAS, since it's a private company?"

All we can say is, LOL.