REDUCING the salaries of ministers would not solve the issue of rising costs of living, Rural Development Minister Mahadzir Khalid said today.

He said former minister Rafidah Aziz’s suggestion for the ministers’ salaries to be slashed in order to help the people is inappropriate.

“As a political veteran, Rafidah should have met with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to express her views, not express them on social media.

“Rafidah is a former minister, she can meet the prime minister and give her suggestions (to overcome the high costs of living),” the Padang Terap MP said after an event in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, today.

He also said Rafidah’s suggestion is an insinuation against Ismail’s administration.

Rafidah in a Friday social media statement called for the salaries of ministers to be cut as a sign of understanding of current difficulties faced by the people.

Mahadzir also said the Ismail administration has done its best to address the issue of rising costs of living, including by continuing with subsidies for essential items.

“That is why even though the price of coal is high, the prime minister said he wants to retain the price of electricity, for which the government will continue paying subsidies.

“The same goes for the price of chicken. Although in the beginning the prime minister said he wanted to float the price of chicken, he withdrew (afterwards),” he said, adding that the move to retain the ceiling price – with the government subsidising it – was made for the sake of the people.

Likewise, the government also continues to subsidise the prices of bottled cooking oil and fuel.

The minister said the people must understand that the issue of food supply and rising living costs are not only happening in Malaysia, but globally.

He said the global phenomenon is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic as many countries are unable to produce food products.

“At the global level, there is a shortage of supply,” he said, citing the example of restrictions on wheat exports by India to ensure its own domestic supply. – June 26, 2022.