"Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia of Cirebon rejects the government`s plan because it will clearly hurt the common people and only benefit foreign-owned gas stations," said the rally`s coordinator, Husin , in a statement to reporters.
The government`s plan would economically strangle low-income people by forcing them to buy a more expensive type of automotive fuel oil and therefore HTI categorically rejected it, Husin said, adding the plan would also tend to favor "conglomerates."
"Limiting fuel oil consumption and any policy designed to facilitate or giving lucrative business to foreign capital in managing natural resources such as oil and gas blatantly contradict Islamic teachings," he said.
Indonesia`s abundant oil and gas reserves, according to Islam, were assets that need to be managed by the state to improve the people`s welfare and not to enrich a certain group, much less to oppress and harm the interest of the common people, he said.
Another rally coordinator, Dudi, said the government`s plan to limit subsidized fuel consumption must be rejected because it disadvantaged low-income people.
"The plan must be cancelled immediately because it will only benefit a group of foreign companies that operate gas stations in the country," he said.
The HTI crowd then marched through a number of Cirebon`s main streets while calling on all people in the Pantura (Java`s northern coastal regions) to reject the government`s plan.
(Uu.HAJM/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
