GEORGE TOWN: The government has not made any decision regarding the removal of the RON95 petrol subsidy, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
When asked to comment on Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli's statement to financial news outlet Bloomberg, which mentioned that "Putrajaya will proceed to announce a similar move affecting RON95 petrol", Anwar said he had read Rafizi's text.
"Rafizi had said that the focus is now on diesel (diesel subsidy rationalisation), and the effectiveness of its implementation needed to be further looked into. Also, if anyone feels that they are affected, they should speak up.
"I looked at it in that context which he focused on.
"As for the others, no decision has been made," he told reporters at the launch of the Menara Hasil Pulau Pinang here today.
Rafizi, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's summer gathering in Dalian, China, however, refused to say when the announcement would be made.
"We will keep our cards close to our chest in the same way we surprised everyone with diesel. So we did surprise everyone with diesel, and I think everyone is up for another surprise," he was quoted as telling Bloomberg.
The government implemented the diesel subsidy rationalisation on June 10.
Diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia rose to RM3.35 per litre.
The move has come under fire from the opposition.