Caught by surprise, many, including the disabled, expressed disappointment and concern over the government's sudden decision to raise petrol and diesel prices.

Those approached by malaysiakini were worried about how their meager incomes would be able to cope with this, making sacrifices inevitable.

Here is what they said.

Anthony Arokia, president of Persatuan Mobiliti Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur

Our association which provides transport for wheelchair-bound persons using vans with hydraulic lifts will definitely be hard hit.

We are an organisation running solely on public funds and we have four vans, it would be difficult to cope.

We provide door-to-door service and we subsidise the cost for those who use our services.

Our current petrol expenditure itself is more than RM3,000 a month.

Now with the increase our cost will be higher. This is definitely a big burden for us.

The 30 sen hike is a big jump and we are disappointed with this decision.

(Arokia, 54, is also wheelchair-bound)

YS Low, 25, web engineer

I think it is more like a downward spiral. For the first month I probably won't feel the pinch, but in the next three to five months, everything will be priced at least 20% higher. So if my salary remains the same, I will be very badly affected.

While I had expected the hike, I didn't think it would be this drastic. I mean... can the government actually control the impending inflation? Raising petrol prices by 30 sen at one go is definitely not justifiable.

(Low who stays in Subang, drives to work at KLCC every day)

Lim Wei Kuan, 27, vegetable seller:

Every time the price of diesel increases, my wholesaler will charge me more. And I notice my customers will buy cheaper vegetables. Even during Chinese New Year, my sales were slow. Some aunties who used to come to my stall now buy frozen peas and carrot bits bought from supermarkets.

Times are very difficult now. The government must think of poor people like us before raising the price. People like me, who have many children to feed, suffer the most.

A Thangarajoo, 34, company worker

I am a disabled person and my wife is also disabled. Both of us use wheelchairs and we go to work on a motorcycle with a sidecar everyday.

The petrol price hike will definitely have an impact on our budget as my salary is only RM500 and my wife makes less than that.

Disabled people like us cannot get jobs with high incomes and furthermore staying in the city, where everything is expensive.

Now with this increase, people like us will be burdened further and we need to tighten our belts further.

Dr BS Khoo, 51, medical practitioner

Looks like it's the season for price hikes for almost everything. Transport, water and electrical price hikes are already expected.

It was a shock for me. I feel cheated. The government appears to have stolen March from us by having the increase today and also because of the quantum of the increase. Come on lah... aren't we a net oil exporter with higher grade of oil?
I guess the actual reason for the price hike must be that our government coffers are bare or near empty. Didn't they say that the expenditure on the Ninth Malaysian Plan would be less compared to previous plans? Where have all the petrol monies gone?

S Perumal, 46, bus driver

My boss was very angry this morning because he cannot raise prices of bus fares unless the (school bus) association gets approval from the government.

I hope he does not sack me and drive the bus himself because I have a family to take care off. Doesn't the government know that people like me who will suffer the most?

To the rich, 30 sen may seem small but for us, it could mean between having a work and becoming unemployed.

The government must look at those who are poor as well.

Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin, 29, trade unionist

While it seems that the government is capable of using public funds to finance large projects and save loss-making companies using billions of ringgit just for a few companies and certain individuals, they cannot absorb subsidies for the majority of the public.

It seems as though they allow businesses to increase prices at the expense of the consumers. There is no strong stand on the part of the government to protect us. The burden will be worse on middle and lower income groups who make up the majority.

Daud Yazind, environmental activist

I think the public should be made to know about the profits derived from oil exports, excluding profits from other investments made by Petronas. Then we will know if the price hike is justifiable or not.

Over the past few years the government has always used higher petrol prices of neighbouring countries to soften the blow. But one cannot use a single item without bundling other consumer items as comparison.

The cost of living in Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines for example, is much lower than Malaysia. It will contra cost of petrol. Furthermore, the cost of using public transport in these countries are lower as well.

Chuah Bee Har, 40, housewife

I heard about the news through a friend last night, but I was too busy preparing my kids for school tomorrow than to go out and line up at a petrol station just to save a few ringgit.

I have five kids to feed and two cars to look after. I can't imagine what their bus fares are going to be like soon.

Azleen Hadi, 26, web administrator:

Obviously the news was very upsetting thing to hear. I am forced to drive to work. It looks like I will have to sacrifice certain pleasurable things in my life. I'm going to think twice about using my car. I would have to spend time at home more rather than going out to see my friends.

There is something really wrong with the system.

Lau Yee Mun, 25, engineer

I immediately went to a petrol station near my house when I heard the news at 10.30pm. The line was so long at the petrol station. The wait took me 20 minutes but I managed to save RM12!

When I heard about the news through SMS, my mother and I were both saying, 'Where can? Last year already raised petrol prices twice by 10 sen each time'.

While our pay rise is little, with this hike, even my favourite Char Koay Teow prices will go up. It is not right for the government to surprise us like this.

Fauzi, 33, car wash operator:

If the government wants to increase the price, they will have to increase. What can we do? But even before this, I had already planned to sell off my Volvo and buy a motorcycle instead.