Malaysia Will Be Bankrupt If Government Reduces Oil Prices, Says Najib

TUARAN, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said on Sunday that the country will become bankrupt if the government reduces oil prices, which were skyrocketting in the world market.
"Throughout the world oil prices are rising, it's not possible for the opposition to bring fuel prices down. It simply does not make sense ... they (opposition) are just trying to make fools of the people of Sabah.
"Sabah people if they want they can reject the present Barisan Nasional (BN) government. We have lost here (Sabah) before but won back (in the general election) because the people had faith in the BN," he said when opening the Tamu Besar Cultural Festival here today.
As such, Najib urged Sabahans not to be influenced by empty promises made by the opposition that if they were voted in to form the new government after the upcoming general election, they would reduce fuel prices.
In November, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim attended several political ceramahs (talks) in Sabah and had pledged to reduce fuel prices if the party was returned in the election.
Najib said the opposition was merely using the tactic (promising to reduce fuel prices) as a ploy gain the support of the people.
"Don't come here (Sabah) and try and fool the people. We can use Petronas' profits to reduce fuel prices, but on the condition we (government) have to forego development projects like building schools or universities.
"If all expenditure is going to be for reducing fuel prices, the country will become bankrupt," he said, adding that fuel prices in Malaysia were the lowest in the region.
"We also know that if we don't find new oil reserves by 2011, our oil imports will exceed exports. We are not like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, our oil production is only around 700,000 barrels annually," he said.
Najib said opposition leaders should convey the truth to the people and not make empty promises.
He said the issue of oil prices needed to be managed wisely to ensure the BN government could carry out various development projects that had already been planned.
"With the oil revenue we have, we can build univerisities, hotels and carry out other development projects, all of which make Malaysia a progressive nation," he said.
Najib also reminded the people to avoid participating in street demonstrations in trying to air their grouses to the government
"Its not our culture. Our culture is consensus building so that everyone benefits. This is the culture the BN has practised all along," he said.
At the function, Najib also announced that the federal government had approved the construction of a new district hospital for Tuaran which would cost some RM120 million.

tunku : when comes election as usual opposition will come up with stupid promises such as to reduce oil price etc because they knows that they will never win.anyway as najib says that malaysia will be bankrupt if the government reduces the price , which were skyrocketting in the world market , that's fine. we don't want our country to go bankrupt but we hope government will not increase the price again as when the petrol price increase all the prices of all goods increases too.