The manner the oil price increase was implemented gives a lot of scope for all to question the wisdom of this decision. First, there was a promise by the domestic trace and consumers affairs minister who said that there would be no price increase till August.

Today he is singing the ‘damage control’ song for the cabinet. Some people in Umno must be very threatened by Shahrir’s inclusion in the upper hierarchy of Umno.

The ‘economic anarchy’ generated by the huge price increase shows how flawed the decision- making process is Everyone providing goods and services wants to increase prices. Basic essentials are the prime target, followed by providers of services.

There is some window-dressing that money will be saved for the government. Really? With a lot of important public contracts and agreements protected by OSA, eg, toll concessions, arms purchases, and most mega-project procurement, how can we be sure that we, the rakyat , are not providing more funds for the cronies of the BN government?

De-classify all non-national security documents then you may ask the rakyat to bear the burden together. Until then, stop all the window-dressing and forums that skirt the real issues. Looks like March 8 has not taught the BN government anything.

Actually the reverse is happening. More arrogantly, they are hiding behind the OSA and not really telling us the truth for the oil price increase.

Maybe, knowing that they are in the last days of power, they just want to grab whatever they can. After all the rakyat has ‘let BN down’.

‘Let’s punish them. We can pretend to take 10% cut in ministers allowances. With our millions/ billions stashed away in foreign accounts, why bother. Let us make hay with the little sunshine left. Let the Pakatan government inherit a bankrupt government and let’s see how the manage. Time to teach them a lesson too.’

So much for democracy and the five principles of the Rukun Negara. Who cares?