Well, at least petrol here is not as expensive as in Thailand. That's what the government would like us to comfort ourselves with. Or as high as Singapore. Or Indonesia. Hmm, what do these three countries have in common with Malaysia, other than being in Southeast Asia and practising an askewed form of democracy in one way or another? Oo, I know. They're all oil-exporting nations. (Buzzer sound) Wrong! Of the four, only Malaysia is a major exporter of crude oil.
So why is it that the government is comparing oil prices in those countries and not with oil exporting countries? Easy. That's the proverbial wool they ever so often pull over our eyes. Yes, fool us into believing we're so much better off than our neighbours and impose a sense of gratitude among the citizens for the government.
Comparitively, the following are some of the major oil producing nations and the numbers in parentheses represent the price of petrol per litre in the respective countries: UAE (RM1.19); Egypt (RM1.03); Kuwait (RM0.67); Saudi Arabia (RM0.38) and Nigeria (RM0.32). Reportedly petrol in Brunei costs RM0.50 per litre. Suddenly the poor-us-we're-victims-of-global-prices lament seems lame.
I think it's a common consensus that the government has just about screwed everyone up with this hike of gargantuan proportions. And it's going to be worse come August if, as many suspect, petrol goes up to RM4 per litre. I'm pretty sure all hell will break loose, if it hasn't already.
What's the hike like, one may ask. Well, under the old rates, I was paying RM70 for approximately 36.5 litres, which fills up my car tank by 99.9%. Now, for the same amount of fuel, I'll be paying RM98. That's a bloody RM28 increment in my petrol-pouring budget. Multiply that by six (the number of times I pur petrol in a month) and I'm paying RM168 more. That's close to RM2000 more per year. Pretty scary figures, if you ask me.
More so as the cut-throats that pervade Malaysian commerce, i.e the mamak shops, the transport companies, the farming industry and such will all seize the opportunity to increase their already high prices. Only Solomon knows how a 78 sen increase in petrol leads to a RM1 increase in chicken rice or milo ais. These blood sucking bastards are already clamouring for permission to increase prices, though the announcement was only made yesterday (4 June).
So that's it, folks. Yet another case of mismanagement of funds hurting my wallet. We end up paying through our noses because our so-called Cabinet of Ministers comprises graduates with backgrounds in Religious Studies, Malay Literature, Home Economics and Agriculture. Yes, that's right. Not Economics, Finance, or even Business Administration. Ask yourself, when was the last time an expert in economics or finance was holding the Finance portfolio? Think hard, think hard.
So why is it that the government is comparing oil prices in those countries and not with oil exporting countries? Easy. That's the proverbial wool they ever so often pull over our eyes. Yes, fool us into believing we're so much better off than our neighbours and impose a sense of gratitude among the citizens for the government.
Comparitively, the following are some of the major oil producing nations and the numbers in parentheses represent the price of petrol per litre in the respective countries: UAE (RM1.19); Egypt (RM1.03); Kuwait (RM0.67); Saudi Arabia (RM0.38) and Nigeria (RM0.32). Reportedly petrol in Brunei costs RM0.50 per litre. Suddenly the poor-us-we're-victims-of-global-prices lament seems lame.
I think it's a common consensus that the government has just about screwed everyone up with this hike of gargantuan proportions. And it's going to be worse come August if, as many suspect, petrol goes up to RM4 per litre. I'm pretty sure all hell will break loose, if it hasn't already.
What's the hike like, one may ask. Well, under the old rates, I was paying RM70 for approximately 36.5 litres, which fills up my car tank by 99.9%. Now, for the same amount of fuel, I'll be paying RM98. That's a bloody RM28 increment in my petrol-pouring budget. Multiply that by six (the number of times I pur petrol in a month) and I'm paying RM168 more. That's close to RM2000 more per year. Pretty scary figures, if you ask me.
More so as the cut-throats that pervade Malaysian commerce, i.e the mamak shops, the transport companies, the farming industry and such will all seize the opportunity to increase their already high prices. Only Solomon knows how a 78 sen increase in petrol leads to a RM1 increase in chicken rice or milo ais. These blood sucking bastards are already clamouring for permission to increase prices, though the announcement was only made yesterday (4 June).
So that's it, folks. Yet another case of mismanagement of funds hurting my wallet. We end up paying through our noses because our so-called Cabinet of Ministers comprises graduates with backgrounds in Religious Studies, Malay Literature, Home Economics and Agriculture. Yes, that's right. Not Economics, Finance, or even Business Administration. Ask yourself, when was the last time an expert in economics or finance was holding the Finance portfolio? Think hard, think hard.
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