Malaysia's ruling coalition pushed through a vote supporting its fuel price hike in parliament Monday, but the opposition said the debate highlighted intense public opposition to the move.
The Barisan Nasional won the vote 129 to 78, and avoided a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi which a minor party in the 14-party coalition had campaigned for.
Abdullah has been fighting for his political survival since a drubbing in March elections, and this month's 41 percent increase in petrol prices has put him under further pressure.
One of the reasons the government was forced to increase the fuel price was because the subsidy, which was 8.8 billion ringgit (2.5 billion dollars) in 2007, was expected to reach 27 billion this year.
Agence France-Presse - 6/23/2008 12:01 PM GMT
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