Selepas mengambil alih tugas PM daripada Tun Hussein Onn Mahathir mula langkah pertama dengan menaikkan harga runcit Petroleum.
Harga petrol sememangnya murah dalam 60 sen ke 70 sen sahaja. Tun menggunakan alasan perang Arab Israel yang menyebabkan kenaikan harga minyak dunia.
Seterusnya baca penulisan di bawah oleh LLS.
When Mahathir first became Prime Minister in 1981, the price of petrol was 89sen per liter.
In 1990, he raised it to RM1.10.
On 20-Oct-2000, he raised it to RM1.20. And then RM1.30 on 20-Oct-2001.
He then raised it 3 more times and by the time he retired as PM, petrol price was RM1.35 per liter - 52% higher than what the price was before he became PM.
Not once did Mahathir ever reduce petrol prices in his 22 years as PM.
In the year 2002, Mahathir and Muhyiddin said that petrol subsidies were unsustainable as Malaysia's oil production is being overtaken by our own consumption - hence petrol prices needed to be raised.
http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2002&dt=0801&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_01.htm
You must also remember that during the time of Mahathir, global oil prices were low and was between US$10 to US$20 per barrel while our exchange rate was USD1 to RM2.40 - as compared to US$60 per barrel now.
The difference was also because Mahathir had taxed petrol at 58sen per liter for much of his reign.
When Najib first became Finance Minister in September 2008, petrol price was RM2.55 per liter for RON97 and RM2.40 for RON92.
Najib then introduced RON95 to replace RON92 and gradually reduced the price to RM1.80.
However, due to blanket subsidies becoming unsustainable, the petrol price was floated in Nov 2014.
After it was floated, the price had fluctuated and was as cheap as RM1.60 for many months.
Now it has gone back up to RM2.31 yesterday due to tensions in Saudi Arabia - but it is still among the top 17 cheapest in the world.
At this RM2.31 price, it is still cheaper than the RM2.55 per liter when Najib first became Finance Minister.
You must also take note that Pakatan's alternative budget for 2018 also no longer have blanket fuel subsidies but will only give a 20sen reduction to owners of motorcycles and cars below 1,000cc.
Even the opposition now knows that blanket subsidies for petrol does not benefit the country.
For a better understanding of whether Malaysia's petrol price is reasonable, please read: http://limsiansee.blogspot.my/2017/10/is-malaysias-petrol-price-too-cheap-or.html
LSS.
