Inikah berita gembira?

Sebelum Hari Raya Aidilfitri, dikatakan akan ada berita gembira. Inikah dia? Adakah berita ini menggembirakan majoriti rakyat Malaysia?


Petrol, diesel down 10 sen

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — The government said today it would cut retail fuel prices for the second time in two months to ease inflationary pressures ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations next week.
From tomorrow, the pump prices of gasoline and diesel will be slashed by 4 percent to RM2.45 and RM2.40 ringgit a litre respectively, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The decision follows the recent sharp drop in global crude oil prices but the government could only afford a minimal price cut because a weaker Malaysian currency has offset the impact of lower global oil prices, he said.
"The government hopes the price adjustment will help to ease the burden on the people" especially during Aidilfitri, celebrated by ethnic Malay Muslims who make up 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people, Abdullah said in a statement.
This is the second price cut since the government hiked gasoline prices by a stunning 41 percent and diesel by 63 percent in early June to curb a runaway subsidy bill. The move is aimed partly at curbing public frustrations over soaring inflation and will relieve pressure on the central bank from having to raise interest rates.
The ringgit is currently hovering at 3.40 to the US dollar, down from 3.25 about three months ago.
Inflation stood at 8.5 percent in August, the same level as in July, due to high transportation and food cost but it is believed to have peaked, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said today.
"I expect this to be the highest level," he told reporters, adding that inflation is expected to be "slightly lower" in September following the fuel price cut.
With the price reduction, he said the government is giving a public subsidy of 33 sen (9.7 cents) per litre on gasoline, he said.
Economists concur that Malaysia's inflation may have peaked but likely to stay above 8 percent until early 2009 given high transportation and food cost. — AP

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/9525-petrol-diesel-down-10-sen