Nota: Kenyataan dalam Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Melaysia
Note: Statements in English and Malay language
HARGA MINYAK, TAMBANG BAS DAN NASIB RAKYAT
Menteri Perusahaan Awam, Datuk Nazri Aziz mengumumkan bahawa tambang bas,
khususnya di kawasan Lembah Kelang, akan naik mulai 15hb Oktober 2000.
Mengikut beliau, kenaikan tambang itu tidak ada kena mengena dengan kenaikan
harga minyak yang berkuat kuasa semalam. Tegasnya sebab kenaikan tambang
itu ialah kerana perubahan zon bagi perjalanan bas.
Dalam pertengahan Jun lalu, Kerajaan telah menerima kenaikan tambang bas
sebanyak 33 peratus. Mulai 15hb Oktober nanti, sekali lagi tambang naik, ada
yang akan naik sampai lebih daripada 100 peratus. Dengan kenaikan baru ini,
sekali lagi bebanan ke atas rakyat biasa yang menggunakan pengangkutan awam
bertambah berat. Di Lembah Kelang, ramai pekerja berpendapatan rendah dan
sederhana berulang alik ke tempat kerja dengan bas awam. Begitu juga
kebanyakan anak mereka berulang alik ke sekolah dengan bas juga. Apabila
tambang bas awam naik, tentu sekali tambang bas sekolah pun akan meningkat.
Nazri berkata selepas 15hb Oktober, tambang bas tidak akan dibenarkan naik
lagi, walaupun harga minyak petrol sekarang sudah bertambah 10 satu liter
dan minyak diesel naik 5 sen satu liter. Barang kali ini ialah kerana
kenaikan baru mulai 15hb Oktober itu sudah mengambil kira sekali kenaikan
harga minyak petrol dan diesel itu. Tetapi kita harus mengingati bahawa
lebih tiga bulan lalu Nazri pernah berkata keperluan menaikkan tambang bas
perlu ditimbang dari semasa ke semasa.
Mungkin kenaikan tambang yang akan dilaksanakan pada 15hb Oktober nanti
memang tidak ada kena mengena dengan kenaikan harga minyak. Tetapi masa
ketika ia berlaku pasti akan menyebabkan rakyat umum mengaitkan kedua-dua
perkara itu. Sangat malang sekali jikalau kenaikan tambang bas ini bersama
dengan kenaikan minyak petrol dan diesel akan dijadikan alasan untuk
menaikkan sewaan bagi pengangkutan awam yang digunakan untuk mengangkut
barang-barang.
Sekiranya ini berlaku, tentu para peniaga akan terdorong pula untuk
menaikkan harga barang keperluan, lebih daripada yang wajar. Menteri
Perniagaan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Datuk Muhiyidin Yasin
berjanji akan memantau kenaikan harga barang. Tetapi apa yang boleh
dilakukannya selain daripada hanya memantau? Tidak ada peraturan atau badan
penguat kuasa yang boleh digunakannya untuk mengawal harga.
Kenaikan tambang bas di Lembang Kelang tidak akan menjejaskan mereka yang
berpendapatan tinggi, yang mempunyai kenderaan sendiri. Akan tetapi, bagi
mereka yang berpendapatan rendah dan sederhana dan tidak mempunyai kenderaan
sendiri, kenaikkan tambang ini akan menjejaskan pendapatan mereka yang pada
takuk lama juga. Hidup mereka akan bertambah sempit sekiranya harga barang
bertambah meningkat pula. Oleh itu PRM membantah keras kenaikan tambang bas
dan harga minyak itu.
Dr Syed Husin Ali
Presiden PRM
2hb Oktober 200
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OIL PRICE, BUS FARE AND THE PEOPLE’S LOT
Entrepreneur Minister, Datuk Nazri Aziz announced that bus fares,
particularly in Klang Valley would go up effective from 15th October 2000.
According to him, this increase has nothing to do with the increase of oil
prices, which was enforced yesterday. He emphasised that this increase is
due to changes in the new zoning of bus routes.
In the middle of June this year, the Government accepted the request to
increase bus fares by 33 percent. Beginning 15th October, once again the
fares will go up, in some cases by more than 100 percent. With this new
increase in fares, once again the ordinary people who make use of public
transport are imposed with an increasingly heavy burden. In the Klang
Valley, many workers from low and middle income groups rely on public
transport to go to their work places. Further, a good number of them depend
on school buses for their children. When fares for public transport go up,
inevitably the school bus fares will also be increased.
Nazri says that after October 15th, bus fares will not be allowed to go up
any further, despite the increase in prices of oil and diesel by 10 sen and
5 sen respectively per litre. Perhaps the fare increase for 15th October
onward has already taken into account the price increases for petrol and
diesel. But we must remember that about three months ago, Nazri had already
promised bus owners of that increase of bus fares would be reviewed
periodically.
Perhaps there is really no connection between the new bus fares to take
effect from 15th October with the price increases of petrol and diesel. But
the timing they have taken place will surely make the general public assume
that the two are related. We fear that the increase in bus fares as well as
the price increases of petrol and diesel will be used as an excuse by those
monopolising public transport carrying goods to increase their charges.
If this happens, then certainly businessmen will be tempted to increase
prices of daily necessities that they trade in. The Minister for Domestic
Trade and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Muhiyidin Yasin promises that he will
monitor any price increase of commodities. But what can he do more than just
monitoring? He neither has the regulations nor the enforcement body to use
in order to control prices.
The increase of bus fares in the Klang Valley will not affect the high
income groups who have their own means of transport. But for those in the
lower and middle income groups who do not have their own transport, these
fare increases will affect adversely their real incomes. With no change in
incomes, their livelihood will become more difficult if prices of daily
necessities also go up. That is why PRM protests strongly the increases in
bus fares and prices of oil.
Dr Syed Husin Ali
PRM President
2nd October 2000