KUALA LUMPUR – Businesses must not succumb to the “corrupt temptation” of raising prices following the withdrawal of blanket subsidies on diesel, the National Patriots Association said.
It reminded businesses to be ethical and patriotic by ceasing the common practice to mark up prices following fuel price increments.
“As has often been the practice in past decades, the private sector would never fail to increase the price of goods the moment the government announces or implements a fuel price increase.
“Passing the increased costs to consumers is an unpatriotic stance, and must cease,” Patriot president Lt Col (R) Datuk Zarazilah Mohamed Ali said in a statement.
He also said business operators must not hoard diesel fuel, nor should transport operators attempt to cut costs by pressuring their drivers to do more trips and overload their lorries.
He called on enforcement authorities to remain vigilant, as well as for the Transport Ministry and anti-corruption agencies to cooperate in curbing the prevalence of profiteering.
The retail price for diesel across Peninsular Malaysia was raised to RM3.55 per litre just after midnight on Monday.
The subsidised price of RM2.15 per litre is retained in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
The fuel is also pegged at RM2.15 per litre under the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS) 2.0, which provides fleet cards to logistics vehicles to mitigate the impact of the diesel price on consumer goods.
For land public transport – including school buses, express buses, ambulances and fire engines – diesel remains priced at RM1.88 per litre under SKDS 1.0.
Meanwhile, subsidised diesel for fishermen is kept at RM1.65 per litre. – June 11, 2024