Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had fulfilled his earlier pledge to keep fuel prices in Malaysia lower than those in Saudi Arabia, according to the Malaysian online newspaper The Star on Tuesday.
Anwar said fuel prices in Malaysia are lower than those in major oil-exporting countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, adding that comparisons should be made with those countries rather than with non-oil-producing nations, where fuel prices are much higher.
His remarks came in response to a question from a member of parliament during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Malaysian parliament, the Dewan Rakyat, on Tuesday.
Anwar said: “When we previously called for petrol (prices) to be reduced to RM1.50, the price in Saudi Arabia was around RM0.50. Today, our price is around RM1.99, while the price in Saudi Arabia is more than RM2.40.
He added: “Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which are also major oil and gas producers, increased their fuel prices two months ago.”
Anwar continued: “This reflects changing economic realities. Therefore, I once promised Malaysia’s fuel prices would be lower than those in Saudi Arabia. It has been fulfilled.”
