Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Ubah Gaya Hidup

Brace yourself and change your lifestyle!

Petrol price will be increased by 40 sens a litre.

You will now have to pay RM2.32 per litre.

The government would devise a new initiative to promote the use of bicycle to help the people to reduce their cost of living and improve the environment. Various ministries are lobbying for this initiative as it will be allocated at least a billion ringgit for promotion and advertisement costs.

Ubah Gaya Hidup, Najib and Pak Lah repeatedly said.

If price of petrol goes up, don't use petrol vehicle; use bicycle.
If price of rice goes up, don't eat rice; eat bread.
If price of flour goes up, don't eat bread; eat biscuit.
If price of everything goes up, don't eat; fasting is good for your spiritual health.

Do not worry as the government is finding ways to improve your standard of living.

The govt will be studying ways of improvement to deal with high costs of living. Harvard university lecturers will be engaged to conduct this study. The study would then be presented for the cabinet's approval and implementation. This research will make suggestions and give appropriate advice as to how the citizens deals with inflation and high costs of living. The govt will also be conducting seminars and forums to teach you all the good ways of managing your lifestyle. The price for the seminars is RM1,000 per person and every citizens are qualified to attend. It is noted that you need to attend at least 10 seminars in order to be beneficial and effective. Thereafter, if it is still ineffective, you are advice to attend another 10 more seminars and possibly some workshops. Participants will be given certificates of attendance as a form of recognition.

Meanwhile, the government is still finding ways to fund the space mission to the Moon and Mars. As this project are very important for the image of the country and will help to propel Malaysia to achieve international recognition as a world class develop country. It was a fact that if the government reduces the fuel subsidies drastically they could easily get the funds from this savings for all these missions and keep some for themselves. But the government won't do so because they have the peoples' interest at heart by allowing a very slight increase in fuel price - 40 sens a litre only. This government cares for you and will do everything that helps you; if it didn't; at least they tried.



19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mave, your getting emotional. there there.... :D

Yes, we all have to accept he fact that we live in the era of rising costs. As much so as we are complaining that the government isnt doing ANYTHING to help us so help us God. (But actually they are doing something (at least trying?), just probably not sufficient or enough to a set of wanting to win all group of people). To me, I'm concerned about how me and my family going to get thorugh it in the long term, for a fact I've got 2 kids to feed over here! All I can say is, we are the architects of our destiny. We can choose how we want to get thorugh the high living costs issue.

Cheers!

Jefus said...

20% is not chicken feed. it will work itself into food costs, transport, etc....

the paycheck buying power will shrink 20% - not good for a weak government.

developed countries have sounded that developing countries should scrap subsidies for oil stating that subsidies causes artificially supported economies and demand for oil.

can malaysia afford runaway inflation?

where are we going from here?

Anonymous said...

try what? 2nd mission to space? or asking us to 'ubah gaya hidup'.

when more and more people fall behind proverty line, with ever increasing cost. sorry, but the govt got to act. we elect a govt to do something, not to have a govt running the coutry on auto-pilot mode.

act not in the sense of every giving freebies everytime, but really pull the actions together and drive the nation out of the difficulties.

fdr pull america out of the great depression in 1930, hitler helped recover german economy after ww1 and clinton stabilise the weak economy during his period. these are just a few examples of govt that work. and no they don't just ask the people to 'ubah gaya hidup'.

Anonymous said...

Wahahahahahaha!!!! you salah already la....Your phrase say..

If price of flour goes up, don't eat bread; eat biscuit. (eh, biscuit also use flour to make what) it should be...

If price of flour goes up, don't eat bread; eat GRASS! Wahahahaha!!

Seriously, the price of everything will go up as this is a worldwide trend.. BUT! what I am curious to know is how come in Malaysia, the prices are hitting the sky!!? At least 30% increase weiii!!? I don't see prices of goods hitting the sky in Singapore or UK or US (I just balik from these places la..)

Got increase a bit la.. about 5-10%la in these countries...but ours!? aiyoo.. pisang goreng also went up so much ah!! CAN DIE OR NOT?? How come ah?? Aren't we producing our own pisang ah?? example la...

Unknown said...

maverick

last i heard, the Bolehland Government is looking into buying the used capsule for US$65 million and spend another US$65 million for refurbishment with the target to fly to the sun ( of course at night) by 2010.
meantime, the rakyat wil have to sacrifice US$130 million to fund this immensely important project thru which Bolehland can claim to the first country in the world to buy a used capsule for research with the aim to fly to the sun.
And the rakyat must tighten their belts for the good of the nation. And, I being a loyal citizen will stand behind this effort of the Government. Amen.

Anonymous said...

US$130 million to the sun at night? impossible!! the budget is too small.

even with a space-craft we don't have the ability to manage it and launch it on our own. not to mention the capability to monitor it in space. NASA has a whole team of scientist in Kenedy Space Center that is the Command Center for space flight. We are no-where there, no even in the near future, you need billions to setup such a facility and scientist brain power for it, which we have none.

Trashed said...

The govt says price of fuel will be aligned to global oil prices.

Will the price of cars in Malaysia also be aligned to global prices as well ?

Anonymous said...

Will personal income tax in Malaysia also be aligned to global countries (China, HK, Japan, Korea & Singapore <18%) as well ?

Anonymous said...

Malaysia bureaucrats don't have way to increase efficiency to do away with the oil subsidies.

I afraid one day, UMNO will copycat Robert Mugabe to print money in desperate to "win" the humongous government servant head count.

I just discuss with my friend should hyperinflation start in Malaysia. Perhaps we should BUY now and borrow more ? When the hyperinflation devalue the money, perhaps RM 100,000k loan can be paid overnight. ;) Or maybe do what the old people say : buy golds?

phillix-starscreamer said...

lol sandyow, you're right. mave's a bit sentimental in the post. :) that just shows he's real doesnt it ;)

mave, i'm just looking at all the anonymous comments on your blog. how do you deal with them man. i'm getting some hate on mine. it's unsettling, somehow..

Anonymous said...

The problem with increasing prices everywhere is nothing doing with what the govt is doing. These are the reuslts of the doings of the opportunistic, greedy, selfish traders/middlemen/businessmen/retailers blaming the rising fuel prices for RISING EVERYTHING! It's either they increase the price using inflation as the excuse or selling their stuff at a much smaller and kedekut quantity. Why are we so dependant on the govt for us to ubah cara hidup all, can't we all be smart enough to think about what is best for us instead? Then we only have ourselves to blame for making the wrong decisions :P

Anonymous said...

note that malaysia is oil producer, net exporter.

take as an e.g, you own an apple orchard growing red big apples. you "trade" the fruits with green apples from other farm. and you SELL it at market price to your family, friends, and nighbours. you have supply surplus here, and even the global oil price hike, it really doesn't impact much - you just untung sikit and control the $$$ to local market demand. just kasi export petrol banned.

Anonymous said...

If price of vegetables goes up, do not eat vegie, eat grass.

If price of clothes goes up, do not wear clothes, wear birthday suit.

What a very thoughtful government we have????

Maverick SM said...

Sandyow,

This is a political satire only.

But I am truly concerned of those people who earns meager salary and the rising food and fuel cost will cause tremendous hardship on them.

I myself and my family are not rich but we are middle income earners who may not be hard hit by the rising cost of living.

However, there are many people who will have trouble to make ends meet and pay these extra cost. if you know, for whatever reason, the cost of sugar, rice, flour and all basic necessities have gone up more than 50% and the lower income group, those earning between RM1,000-$3,000 will suffer greatly.

Malaysia is fortunate as we have petroleum and Petronas is the beneficiary for high crude oil price. Petronas earns an extra-over of around $80bil each year due to the increasing crude price as compared to when the crude price was $25-$30 a barrel in the 90s. So, can't this extras which is derived from crude oil be utilized to par-down the cost of living?

The govt can reduce oil subsidy but they should subsidize essential food and provide absolutely free education for the citizens using the oil money. That's my point of contention.

Maverick SM said...

Jefus,

If the fuel price increase by 20% it will cause a chain reaction where all other things will increase in tandem.

Bunnies,

You are right; but I could think of something cheaper than biscuit.

On the worldwide price increase, we must remember that Malaysia is a beneficiary of high oil price and the exceptional gains is more than $80bil extra-over.

Yok Hoong,

Ya, you are right; Malaysia is surely buying the capsule; it's agreed in principle with the Russian under the Malaysia Boleh Agreement.

Trashed,

The govt on say the fuel prices but not the car prices; what goes up we follow; what goes cheap, we do not.

Moo_t,

You are right about the economic opportunities. But only those who have extras to spare can think of that.

Phillix,

I didn't stop the anons; I just keep reminding them to be rational and intellectual. It is up to them; and I am pleased that most of them did show great respect and maturity.

Denzook,

You are right; except many don't understand that Malaysia actually benefited billions with the high oil prices and it fact makes the country so much richer. However, Petronas is not revealing the truth; they have good place to hide those profits derived from Vietnam and other foreign investments. they park their excesses in foreign land and it is not reported in the royalties and dividends.

Moo,

You are right; I should have considered it too.

sinkeh said...

Malaysia may soon be like Indonesia at the rate we are going.

Maverick SM said...

Gongkaukau,

I wouldn't say that as it is a disrespect to Indonesia; in fact Indonesia is doing much better than many countries and if you go to Jakarta today you will see tremendous improvements in their economy and lots of foreign investments.

Malaysia, is still suffering from its self-created virus and diseases which relates to meritocracy, globalization, calcified kleptorism and poor management.

Anonymous said...

some stupid ppl has the guts to say the gov din own us and we should stand with our own feet. dis ppl probably work 10k so they din feel the impact of the oil become $$$$. if malaysia is net importer, i got nothing to say coz oil price hike is calamity. but malaysia is net exporter, dammit. so is it wrong to say gov should look after its ppl (like in this case sell discounted oil, i wont use the word subsidy), we should say we're at our own. then why the hell you ppl pay tax for, to be oppressed, or protection money (from jobless ppl to rob you) ? since the gov cannot look after you, why the hell you loyal to the country, better find another country to migrate lar...... the gov and rakyat should have mutual relationship, you take care of us, we show our loyalty and work for you (like progrressing the country).

Maverick SM said...

Denzook,

They are kids; have parents that are rich; can afford everything under the sky; let them be.