President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was angered by a request made by MP Abul-Ma’ati Mostafa, on Tuesday, during the inauguration of some national projects in Damietta governorate. Sisi turned down the MP’s demand, denying him any chance to comment.
Mostafa asked the president to postpone the planned increases to the fuel and electricity prices until the minimum wage is increase to LE3,000 per month.
The MP said that the simple citizen is the one who pays for the increase in energy prices, because the owners of factories will add that increased to the price of the final product.
“Low income earners cannot afford [the prices].. Please postpone the increase in fuel and energy prices until the minimum wage is raised to LE3,000, so we can afford the increase in prices,” Mostafa said.
The president surprised the audience when he interrupted the MP, saying: “Who are you?!” Mostafa replied “I am Abul-Ma’ati Mostafa, a member of the House of Representatives.” The president told him: “What representatives.. Have you studied the subject you speak about.. Do you want the state to rise, or remain dead?!.. Please study the topics well and then speak.”
Sisi continued with his angry speech, saying: “The state will never rise with emotions.. I am responsible [even] before you are that the state should be of great importance and value.. not with words like ‘postpone’, ‘not right now’, and ‘sorry’.. Please, whoever wants to address an issue, must first study it fully.”
Mostafa is an MP representing the second electoral district of the Damietta governorate. He holds a doctorate (PhD) in criminal law. He is known in the parliament for his demands that Noble Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz be put on trial for outrage of modesty through his novels.
