Malaysia orders civil servants to work from home to save energy as PM Anwar targets fuel price misinformation
Policy starts Apr 15, affecting staff at ministries, government agencies, and state-linked firms
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[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysian government workers will begin working from home this month as the country seeks to bring down energy costs amid soaring fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.
The policy will take effect from Apr 15 and will affect workers at ministries, government agencies and state-linked companies.
“The aim is to reduce fuel consumption and ensure the sustainability of energy supply,” Anwar said in a statement late on Wednesday (Apr 1).
Further details on the policy will be announced later, Anwar said, adding that efforts by state oil firm Petronas and others were underway to secure fuel and power supplies.
Anwar also called on enforcement agencies to step up action against what his government sees as false claims about fuel and electricity prices as it seeks to shore up public confidence amid a global energy crunch.
The communications regulator has identified 96 posts of misleading content circulating on social media, he said. Anwar urged authorities, including police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, to take action against those spreading what he described as misinformation.
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“We are operating under extraordinary circumstances with mounting challenges, yet this does not stop those who continue to lie, spread hatred, sabotage and betray,” he said.
The government is spending about RM4 billion (S$1.3 billion) a month to absorb the surge in global oil prices. It has kept the subsidised price of Malaysia’s most widely used petrol at RM1.99 per litre, among the lowest in the world. It has, however, cut the monthly quota by about a third to 200 litres per citizen.
“Of course our capacity is limited and we must also look at the experiences of other countries,” he said.
Malaysia is spending nearly US$1 billion a month on subsidy measures to keep retail pump prices low.
The finance ministry in a separate statement on Wednesday announced a fourth straight weekly increase in unsubsidised diesel prices, though other transport fuels such as RON97 petrol saw a slight decline in costs. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
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