Malaysia’s Anwar warns against ‘sabotage, hatred’ over fuel prices

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim 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.“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 in a video message late on Wednesday.The government is spending about 4 billion ringgit (US$993 million) a month to absorb the surge in global oil prices.It has kept the subsidised price of Malaysia’s most widely used petrol at 1.99 ringgit per litre, among the lowest in the world. It has, however, cut the monthly quota by about a third to 200 litres per citizen.02:39Middle East war fuels Asia’s energy crisis: queues, shut schools and ruined livelihoods