The fuel hike was expected. What else can you want? | Malaysian Sentinel : Malaysia's Politics from a Malaysian Citizen Blogger


Thursday, June 5, 2008

The fuel hike was expected. What else can you want?

My dad threw a fit when he heard of the fuel hike. "Why can't we, a petroleum producing country sell fuel cheaper to its own citizens?" was his question. I shrugged my shoulders and wondered myself. Honestly, I want the government to give us answers as to why we can't sell fuel to our own citizens at a cheaper rate?

The other thing, which bothers me is the fact everything else will go up. Food items will hit the ceiling and the overall cost of living would go up by 40-60%. Subsidies aside, I totally hold the government responsible for this added stress on my living. And I would throw crap at the next minister who tells me that I should change my lifestyle to suit the times. The truth of the matter is that normal citizens of Malaysia are already earning too little to cope with the times.

Malaysiakini reports:

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is clinging to power after disastrous polls, but disarray in the ruling party, a strong opposition and deep subsidy cuts make his future highly uncertain, analysts say.

Source: Malaysiakini


Crime will go up as desperate people scratch out a living to cope with these changes but I think the worst spill over effect of this fuel hike is that the poor have just become poorer. With the little that I earn right now, I am poor. In fact, I am now broke and surviving hand to mouth. With increase prices for food stuff and what nots, I will have to cut out a lot of things from my budget.

First thing to go would be insurance. Who needs life insurance or what ever crap insurance there is when I can't put food on the table?

Secondly, eating out will now be a luxury, which spells ill for stall owners across Malaysia. Who would want to eat out if the price of noodles cost RM5?

Thirdly, why bother driving? I'm thinking of cycling to work. A prospect that would mean I have to get up at 5 am in order to be in the office by 8 am. So when will Malaysia have hybrid cars?

What irks me to the max is the fact, by hiking the price up, the government has not clearly given us a means to counter check the rise in other things. Did they give thought about the rising price of food that is hitting the world? The shortage of rice and the need to import rice from neighboring countries would only increase the price of rice sold in the marketplace. Why? Fuel price to transport the goods would be passed down to the consumers. And what about all the corridors, launched by Pak Lah before the election? Would they take off because construction will be affected by the fuel hike. Would the buildings even go up?

Folks, be prepared for the spill over and it will be massive because these are bad times not only for Malaysia but globally. I just think the hike is too steep and also bad timing.

It is time to change government but I don't think even the new government can undo what has been already done.

4 comments:

David Ling said...

Noodles already cost RM5 in KL. Goodness knows how much they'll cost now.

Anonymous said...

While expected it still is a shock.People expected to change lifestyle .......???Those who utter this kind of advice are those who have drivers paid by the rakyat;their children use their official vehicles to school etc;the spouses well what can I say: and they probably have allowances and claims for everything they buy and more...wtf..methinks next time I see them I'll go pfftoooi... sometimes we see them their kids spouses putting on airs and it just makes me want to puke..

iskandar said...

Nothing is for certain after the General election, everything doesnt seem right anymore,PM, advice is just for us to change our life style its easier said than done. most of us are not super earners. afterall what is there for the PM to lose, he said that he will not be popular after the anouncement of the hike, the begin with he wasnt at all popular before this, so it doesnt make a difference. he keep on saying that he has the support and why he should step down as the PM, well the truth is he has the support but not from the rakyat but only to the greed and selfishness of those wanting to hold to their post in the party or cabinet. where does all the money come from those high profile projects launched by the PM recently? do we really need to have them?

Anonymous said...

They could've raised it up by 30 sen at least to help people adapt, if they really had to hike up the fuel price.

But nooo, 78 sen all the way, mister.

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