KUALA LUMPUR: The negative public perception over the increasing cost of living has become a national issue which needs to be tackled academically by providing a holistic explanation.
Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Datuk Fuad Hassan said this responsibility does not lie solely with the government, but should involve community leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGO).
“Some perceptions are true and some are not, so the correct perception needs to be shown by the government and clarify what is wrong.
“This matter needs to be clear. For example, the high price of housing is not a perception, it is the truth. Therefore, we need to exlain how the government is trying to help reduce the people’s burden in terms of housing prices.
“This is our (Jasa) role and also that of NGOs. It’s not one way communication but two way communication…explain to the people on government policies to manage any wrong perceptions,” he told reporters after the Wacana Ilmuan Negara (WINNER) programme titled Managing People’s Cost of Living, here yesterday.
Fuad said the people’s mindset must be changed and taught about the positive things in the existing government policy so that they know that price increases and drops were not within government control.
He said the government did not determine the price of goods as it depended on supply and demand.
“What the government determines is provision of subsidy to help with the cost of living,” he added.
The half-day discourse was attended by about 300 participants. Part of its objective was to hear and understand the perspective of experts on economic issues, which was geared towards discussing the real status of income of Malaysians. — Bernama