KUALA LUMPUR: Two student unions have urged the government to reconsider its decision to abolish cooking oil subsidies and the ceiling price of necessities from July 1.
The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Student Union and the Universiti Malaya Student Union (KMUM), in a joint statement said: "This decision sets aside the issues faced by the people, especially when these issues will cause a domino effect on other daily necessities.
"The IIUM Student Union and KMUM feel that this decision was made regardless of the situation faced by the people. The abolition of this subsidy will mean that most of the prices of daily necessities will accelerate in a short period of time."
The statement added that the government's decision will also have a negative impact on all walks of life, including college students.
The unions also said the cash assistance announced as an alternative was unlikely to resolve the people's issues.
"(The) Malaysian Family Aid worth RM100 will not last long if the prices of essential goods increase.
"The government still does not have an aid plan to help students who are also affected by such rising prices.
"Plans such as Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia are very inadequate to meet the needs of the people in the long run."
