Price Hike : "Sen wise and Ringgit foolish"

After all the bashings that Pemandu’s boss received and denial by the government, they still stick to Idris Jala’s subsidy review plan. Last night, the government has announced new prices for fuel, cooking gas and sugar, effective from today.

The new prices are:

• Petrol RON 95 - RM1.85 per liter
• Petrol RON 97 – RM 2.10 per liter
• Diesel - RM1.75 per liter
• Sugar - RM1.90 per kilogram
• LPG gas - RM1.85 per kilogram

Many people keep saying that it’s just 5 sen of increasing. Please don’t be fooled by the number. Think thoroughly. 

Petrol is something that can be valued as same as gold. Why America attacked and having war with Iraq? It was because of oil. Petrol controls everything in our live expenditures. Once the price has been increased, the whole items will follow the lead. So for some of the geniuses who keep saying it’s just 5 sen, u guys have to think again because we not only talking about 5 sen, but we talking about all of our live necessities that gonna be affected by this 5 sen. 

I afraid some of u are befitting to the English Idioms "Penny wise and Pound foolish" or in our currency term "Sen wise and Ringgit foolish".

Worldwide there have been no significant increases in sugar, gas, petrol and diesel. Now we don't know why suddenly the rakyat must be punished.

The government said before they make this decision to increase the prices, they already got a green light from the rakyat based on survey that they made. I wondering, just how many people took part in that survey? Who was invited? Did they go from state to state to survey or was it only in few states that were surveyed? Did the Government survey all the poor people in the kampungs and non urban areas? Are the views of a few thousand people reflective of the few million people in Malaysia?

The 1st quarter GDP growth of 10% is never felt by us. U wanted us to have this feel good factor because u knew these price increases were coming. U have taken away our livelihood and savings and we don't know how the future generations will survive. We want a change soon before it is too late. We can't afford a Zimbabwe hyperinflation.

There are so many others way to cut the government expenditures instead of cutting the subsidies that will burden the rakyat. It only needs to consider a simple mathematics.

First maybe we should postpone the build of the new palace. Is it the leaders unwillingly to pay RM750 million for 27 million rakyat, but willingly pay RM800 million to build Istana for one person, i.e. Agong? Why don't u adjust RM800 million for RM750 million for rakyat then? Change one person lifestyle is definitely easier than to change 27 million people's lifestyle, isn't it?

If cannot, can we suggest u to trim ur PM Department work force which spent RM4 billion. The PM department is expected to spend RM4 billion of the rakyat money this year. Did they tighten their belt? What’s the point of u having 43,544 employees in PM's department? What do they all do? The subsidies cost for 2010 is about twice what is spent on the PM's department. Cut the latter in half, not a difficult thing to do, and u have a quarter of the subsidies covered without any pain to the people

And when will car prices be based on market rates? Why the rakyat has to subsidies PROTON? If u want to follow the market price, why don’t u let market fixed the car prices. Why government imposed so heavy taxes on cars if they want to float the Ron97 prices. Toyota Camry only cost RM60k in Australia and America, but it costs RM 174k in Malaysia. It almost triple! Please be fair to the rakyat.

Mr. PM, allow me to borrow ur phrases and turn it a little bit. “You help us, we help you”. U help us by giving us public transportation that works, closing down Proton so that we can have cheaper and better cars, reducing road tax and toll rates, eliminating annual driving license fees, introducing Euro 4 diesel, stopping APs and etc. We help u by changing our lifestyle and tightening our belts.

Austerity drives should start from the top down; and not from the bottom up! It is time that the top people in the government set a good example. For a start, no more trips overseas, under the pretext of study tours!

If they wish to really study how other nations function, maybe they should just go to Singapore and learn from them. After all she has become a developed nation, years ahead of our nation. There is no necessity to fly far away. And please, do not take a whole contingent along, even to Singapore! We have heard enough of these spending sprees at taxpayers' expense. If they are using their own money, then they can take along even their driver, gardener, maid, dog and cat. (Sorry, no offence Khir Toyo)

And finally, thanks to PM Najib for reminding us that we must also reduce our sugar consumption coz forty percent of Malaysians are now either overweight or obese. We never realized that u and ur wife are so slim and fit. Brilliant ~