The day before it happened, I was discussing it with my colleagues, and constantly checked on the local news websites for the latest update. First, the government announce that the price will go up in August, and will be determined by global forces i.e. NO SUBSIDY.
I was already calculating my petrol consumption, assuming that it would be RM5 per liter. It was the hottest topic in recent times. Then, Badawi made the announcement around 3pm, to a sigh of temporary relief, petrol will go up by 78 cents.
I couldn’t help but to think that the first announcement is a calculated hoopla, make the rakyat all disturbed and upset by the thought of ZERO SUBSIDY, then announce a “softer” increase. The rakyat is “happy”, government is happier by the billions - it had planted the seed to create future billionaires.
It was a week of ups - Petrol, Electricity, Chicken, Rice, and Chicken Rice with one small albeit worthy mention “benefit” for Selangor, free water as promised by the opposition - even that is also on the rocks. Our personal budgets are all screwed in a space of a week, making it difficult to believe that inflation rate this year would be around 5 to 6 percent. Come on, logically that is BS.
Recession is unavoidable, cue unemployment, and with unemployment, comes social ills. “Thank you” so much for the RM625 rebate, I can now afford to hire a servant to take care of my children while the missus and I slog at work trying to make ends meet.
I’m not sure whether the rebate was well thought of, an average person gets a rebate of RM625 if he has a car. What about Datuks who own a fleet of expensive cars? BMW, Alfa, Camry, Volvo and what nots? They are all below 2000cc - so does that mean the Datuk gets a whopping rebate for all of his cars? Where’s the logic?
Forget about “being the cheapest” in the region, that’s bollocks, considering the lower standard of living compared to say Singapore whose purchasing power makes a mockery out of Malaysia. What about the exorbitant sales taxes and Rafidah Aziz’s taxes too? Why not abolish that so an average Malaysian gets to have his own transport, seeing that the public transportation is a joke, killing Proton at the same time?
FACT - Malaysia is a NET exporter. How can a country like Venezuela and Nigerians pay 16 cents and 32 cents respectively while we pay RM2.70. Is Petronas really struggling to make ends meet? Are they finding it tough to keep their millionaires staff happy with more millions?
I read on Google today that some places in the US are adopting a 4-day work week of 10 hours per day to counter the increasing fuel prices. It sounds like a good idea in principle.
Yes, we are aware of the world issues for food and fuel, and yes, we will have to change our lifestyle, but only if the Malaysian cabinet also change their lifestyles - well come on then, in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh, join the rakyat in taking public transportation.
Coming soon - Petrol Ver 5.0.
A Year Ago
- 2007: Longtime Singlehood
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Tags: 78 cents, abolish, announcement, Badawi, billionaires, budget, calculated, cheapest, chicken, consumption, electricity, free water, fuel subsidy, global market price, income, increase, lifestyle, liter, litre, net exporter, petrol 2.70, petrol ver 2.7, proton, public transport, purchasing power, relief, rice, RM625 rebate, taxes, unemployment
June 13th, 2008 at 11:28pm
I do agree with you about Singapore’s purchasing power. We’re just so behind and government is thinking that the rakyat is stupid enough not to realized that our earning per capita is actually low compare to others. Sigh..I think they have to give new excuse. The rakyat are much more informed now. However, I think the price oil increase is inevitable. I just hope government government will prudently used the money saved from subsidy from now.
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June 16th, 2008 at 1:21pm
All in all, there are so many kickbacks, removals and leakages down the chain in the economy. Take pharmaceuticals. Go to a doctor, they are getting commission. They will prescribe a rake of drugs, you pay, and they get a kickback from the pharmaceuticals for selling their product.
Go to a bar, the prices are high because of excise duty. They then have to pay kickbacks to the police, and city councils to operate.
Even restaurants do not escape. Kickback to operate, kickback for licence. A Bunga by any other name would smell so sweet. And they expect, and want investment……What happens now….people get frustrated and say “Forget it, I will go to Thailand/Phillipines/Indonesia/Vietnam/China. Malaysia was MILES ahead of these places in 1997-1998, and took pride in looking forward.
Each element of these corrupt practices represents money taken and removed. People want things on the cheap. Life becomes cheap. People are not respected. People at the lower strata struggle to survive.
Its now so ingrained in Malaysia, and we are all suffering from it. There is an escape valve that has always been open to those who can innovate adapt and survive. Unfortunately, the way out is Malaysian Airlines…..hardly low fares either.
Could the last one with a brain, please leave. Pak Lah and his cronies can keep it.
The oil price increase is inevitable. Subsidies are lethal nasty rotten socialist vehicles. They are economic poison. Everyone seems to have their beady damned eyes on Petronas, and then compare the price of petrol to the likes of Nigeria and Venezuela.
The Nigerian Government makes the Malaysian Government look like the model of honesty and good governance by comparison, and they are desperately poor. As for Venezuela, don’t get me started on Hugo Chavez. His economic policies have caused a 32% inflation rate in 2007.
Take the medicine. Remove the subsidies. Its painful now, but its far better than having the IMF knocking on the door when the subsidies have bled the Treasury and the Bank Negara dry by 2014. Oh….the cronies and the cabinet, of whatever colour won’t have Ringgit Malaysia bank accounts. Its going to be in any currency except the Ringgit. In an ideal Malaysia with honest governance, the money saved from subsidies would go on Health, Education, Transportation and Housing. Of course, people are too myopic to see that the subsidies are so damn wasteful, that they will turn the Malaysian economy into a train wreck.
I foresee dark days ahead for Malaysia, lasting 2 years. But without an honest Government, its just looking worse. It just seems its been downhill here since 1998.
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June 22nd, 2008 at 5:47pm
ruehyinn We’ll just have to wait and see I suppose.
Diarmuid Curran Derm, I don’t know where to start with your comments seeing that there’s so many points to discuss. Anyway, I’ll just say thanks for your thoughts.
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