INDONESIAN PRESIDENT IRKED BY CRITICISM OF FUEL OIL PRICE HIKE.

CENTRAL LOMBOK, WEST NUSATENGGARA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday vented his anger at critics who say his government's policy to raise fuel oil prices was only causing misery to the people.

"A president who makes his people suffer is crazy. No government in this country would push its people into misery," the President said in remarks before thousands of people including government officials after dedicating a number of development projects at Menseh hamlet, Ganti village, Central Lombok district, West Nusatenggara.

He said deciding to increase the fuel oil prices had not been easy.

"We ruminated, we pondered and prayed, and eventually Allah gave me the decision and policy that is good for this country, for all of us and for the future," he said.

The President promised his government would overcome all problems caused by the fuel oil price increases but he asked the people not to think that only Indonesia had been hit by difficulties as a consequence of fuel oil price spiral. Other countries were undergoing the same woes, he said.

When he visited ...