August 25, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) — Development is a continuous process which the government pursues irrespective of election seasons, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
In this matter, Abdullah said the people should not be confused between reality and political play by certain quarters and should see that all actions taken by the government was for their own good.
The Prime Minister said this when interviewed Radio Television Malaysia’s radio news channel in commenting on the action taken by the government to reduce the prices of fuel which some quarters claimed was an attempt to fish for votes in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
“There is no connection… it’s as though whenever there is a by-election, the government cannot do anything. Everything must stop. Reduce fuel prices is also not permissible.
“Just because the Permatang Pauh by-election is taking place, must we wait until it is over to announce a fuel price reduction? Must the people wait a few days, a week to enjoy the lower prices?,” said Abdullah.
On Friday, Abdullah announced fuel price reduction of 15 sen for RON97 petrol from RM2.70 a litre to RM2.55 a litre while for RON92 petrol it was reduced by 22 sen from RM2.62 a litre to RM2.40 a litre.
It led to some quarters claiming the price reduction was done to entice voters in the by-election to vote for the Barisan Nasional (BN).
The by-election involves a three-cornered fight between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the BN’s Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah and Hanafi Mamat of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (AKIM).
In the interview, Abdullah also expressed his worry that there were people who resorted to sensationalising certain issues to gain popularity.
He said things like this could distract the people’s attention from development efforts being undertaken by the government.
There were also certain groups, he said, though their numbers were small, were good at making up stories.
“These stories are meant to attract the people’s attention… true or not is another matter. I also find this worrying.
“It is true, in life we will come across all kinds of matters which can influence our thinking and feelings. But we should not get carried away with issues like these as it can confuse us,” he said.