KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — The social media have become an instrument to deceive people into thinking that they have become poor due to the rise in the price of cooking oil, said an Umno veteran.

Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman, Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said there were efforts from unscrupulous people trying to incite the masses as if they had become ‘poor’ due to the rise in oil prices and indirectly attempting to discredit the government.

"I hope the people are aware that this is a provocation,” he told reporters when asked about the issue of rising cooking oil prices.

He explained that the government was still subsidising cooking oil in one- kilogramme packets with the price maintained at RM2.50.

Shahrir compared the price of cooking oil in Indonesia and Malaysia as the republic is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, followed by Malaysia.

"The price of one litre of cooking oil in Indonesia is between RM3.44 and RM4.33, which are not subsidised prices compared with our packet of oil which is still priced at RM2.50 per kg. Indonesia’s cooking oil price is not subsidised, even though they are the largest palm oil producer,” he said. — Bernama