Give timeframe for lifting blanket subsidies, Kian Ming tells govt

Former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming says the government should acknowledge its challenges in managing the economy and stop blaming past administrations.

PETALING JAYA: Former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming has urged the government to provide a timeframe for its plan to lift blanket subsidies.

The DAP man said this was necessary so that families and businesses could plan ahead of time, in case the subsidies would no longer apply to them.

“Till now, we don’t have any concrete timeframes on when these withdrawals (of subsidies) are going to take place and, more importantly, what is the amount of targeted subsidies that will replace these blanket subsidies and who will be eligible for them,” he said in a statement.

This was among his suggestions on measures the government could take to tackle public perception that it was not managing the economy well.

Despite announcements of incoming foreign direct investments (FDIs), Ong said it would take a few years before these FDIs are realised and their benefits felt by Malaysians.

Therefore, he told Putrajaya not to be surprised if these figures on the economy and FDIs fail to excite the people.

Ong said the government should acknowledge its challenges in managing the economy and stop blaming past administrations.

“This makes the current government seem ineffective to the public and also brings attention away from some of the positive government policies, such as the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP), which will take some time to actualise.”

The former Bangi MP also called on Putrajaya to unveil its rollout plans for initiatives in the 2024 budget, including funding details for NIMP and NETR-related schemes.

“The longer these are delayed, the less confidence the public will have.

“This government also needs to have strategised and coordinated communication plans so that it doesn’t end up shooting itself in the foot,” Ong added, citing the recent debacle over the “Madani white rice” proposal.

The proposal was first announced by Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal. The government subsequently clarified that the announcement by the National Action Council on Cost of Living’s food prices committee chairman was merely a proposal.

Ong said this was an amateur mistake which only contributed to sentiments that the unity government was incompetent in managing the economy.

“It’s not too late to save the economic narrative for this unity government and for it to prove to the people that their livelihoods will be better under the Madani government. But time is slowly but surely running out.”