SANDAKAN: Sabah DAP Secretary cum Sandakan MP Vivian Wong called on the Government to ensure that the enforcement of the 14kg liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy policy is implemented with precision and fairness, amid growing concerns among small traders.
She said the Government should target the root causes of LPG subsidy misuse, especially illegal resale activities and smuggling.
“Many small food operators such as hawkers at food courts and night markets rely on LPG gas cylinders for their daily operations.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Therefore, any confusion in the implementation of this policy can lead to unnecessary worry and burden traders, especially in Sabah, which faces higher living costs and significantly different logistical challenges compared to Peninsular Malaysia,” she said.
She said Sabah DAP supports the Government’s efforts to combat subsidy abuse, but stressed that enforcement must be targeted and not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach that inconveniences small traders who only use two or three cylinders a day.
“This not only affects the sustainability of their businesses but may also lead to an increase in food prices for consumers,” she said.
“Any policy implementation must take into account the real-life situations of the people and the logic of daily business operations to avoid unintentionally causing public outrage,” she added.
Vivian also urged the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to disclose data on the number of food operators still using subsidised gas cylinders (orange tanks) versus those who have switched to commercial gas cylinders (purple tanks) to ensure transparency and policy effectiveness.