‘Giving priority to rising cost of living welcome news for rural folks’

ENGKILILI: The decision by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to give priority to the issue of rising cost of living is welcome news indeed, especially for farmers in the rural areas, said Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa.

According to the Engkilili assemblyman, this means that the new Prime Minister has got what it takes to alleviate the burden shouldered by the people, especially those in the rural areas.

“Nowadays, people’s lives are very difficult especially with regard to the rising cost of living. The farmers in the rural areas are feeling it most because of the high prices of farming necessities such as fertilisers and pesticides.

“Similarly, the price of commodities such as oil palm, rubber, rice which are a source of their income has now been affected very badly,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Rayong thus hoped that the new federal government led by Anwar will do their best to solve these problems because farmers in the rural areas, especially in Sarawak, do not really enjoy a steady income.

He also said that farmers in the rural areas of Sarawak have long been suffering and their only hope now is that the government will find a solution to their problems.

“Many farmers especially from my area are complaining that they are facing difficulties in finding a living while they have no choice but to become farmers.

“As a person who comes from the rural area myself, I feel sad for them because I really understand what difficulties they are facing at the moment,” he said.

On Sunday, Anwar chaired the 2022 National Action Council on Cost of Living special meeting which was attended by government departments and agencies to discuss the cost of living issues affecting the people.

Following the meeting, he set a two-week deadline for the National Action Council on the Cost of Living to come up with a proposal on targeted subsidies and their implications.

Anwar said that the distribution of government subsidies should be carried out in a targeted manner to ensure that they benefit only those who really need them.

“I have given a period of two weeks to dissect, go through all the implications and discuss with the private sector, investors so that they understand the purpose of the subsidy is to ease the burden of the poor,” he said during a press conference held after the meeting.

According to Anwar, everything must be streamlined before the matter is brought before the Cabinet, which is expected to be formed within the same time frame.