Carmakers have refuted Utusan Malaysia’s claim that they had reduced their car prices by up to 11 percent from January this year as part of UMNO-BN’s fulfillment of its manifesto.
This embarrassing episode exposes the utter desperation of UMNO-BN in dealing with Pakatan’s #TurunkanHargaKereta campaign.
When Pakatan first launched #TurunkanHargaKereta, UMNO-BN claimed that it was impossible to reduce car prices for various reasons, including protecting local automakers and loss of revenue for the government. However this was easily countered as our scheme involves a gradual reduction of excise duties that applies to all carmakers.
Eventually, after Pakatan’s election manifesto was launched, UMNO-BN included the reduction of car prices in its own pledges by revamping the National Automotive Policy to gradually reduce car prices by 20 to 30 per cent and increasing the competitiveness of the national cars. Unfortunately the government has failed to give much details on how they plan to carry out this policy without reducing excise duties, with International Trade and Industry Ministy Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed saying that it will be achieved by ‘relying on market forces’.
It appears that the commitment to reduce car prices by UMNO-BN was made after it recognised how popular Pakatan’s #TurunkanHargaKereta campaign was yet until today they are unable to find a mechanism to do so without doing away with the government’s reliance on excise duties.
Thus the report by Utusan that 10 car models have recorded price reductions is a desperate attempt to belittle the public’s intelligence. Both Volkswagen and Peugeot have refuted the claims. News portal Malaysian Insider has also revealed that the claimed reduction for Honda Jazz Hybrid is also untrue.
Yet again, Utusan shows that the once-proud Malay broadsheet is now a symbol of bad journalism as it acts to further the interests of its political owners, UMNO. Utusan must immediately apologise to all Malaysians as well as the carmakers.
