Cows run on gasoline
Technorati tags: Fuel, Price Increase, Inflation, Milk
What prompted this post is what happened this morning on my way to work. You see, I don't take sugar with my coffee; just fresh full cream milk, and I usually make sure there's some at the office. I found out this morning, that the price for a liter carton of milk just went up 20 sen. Or about 4%.
So I figured that the only explanation for this is that, hey... cow's must run on gasoline!
Now, explain all you want, Mr. Man, and promise all you want that the cost of living is only gonna increase no more than 1.4%, as a result of the increase in fuel prices. The cost of living is going to increase significantly.
No increase in prices of essentials
KUALA LUMPUR: The prices of essential goods will not go up, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said the Government had rejected requests from producers of several essential goods to increase prices to absorb the impact of the new fuel price.
“We took note of their requests but told them that increasing the ceiling prices was not possible because it would burden the rakyat,” he said after a dialogue session chaired by the Prime Minister for Barisan Nasional grassroots leaders here yesterday.
Mohd Shafie said the new fuel price would only cause the prices of essential goods to increase by an average 1.4%.
“Since not all manufacturers are really affected, we decided that there would not be any changes to the present prices.” (from The Star)
The cows, however, have spoken, and they say otherwise.
And that makes me infuriated. Not because the cows have spoken (which would actually be pretty cool), but because again and again we're fed with lies and half-truths from Mr. Man, and time and time again, the same Mr. Man gets re-elected.
Then there's the Deputy PM who tells us we must change our lifestyle. Yeah, right. The day you and other VVIPs get caught in rush hour traffic, and not cruise through behind your outriders, rudely ushering other traffic users out of the way, that's the day I'm going to change my lifestyle.
As if listening to a broken record, again we're told that the price of fuel in Malaysia is among the lowest in the region. More importantly, lower than Singapore. Now, Mr. Man, I don't know how gullible you imagine your constituents are, but consider this:
In Singapore, you actually have a viable choice not to drive, because they have a world-class public transportation system. Not one that's disjointed like what KL has to offer. So, if you still choose to drive in Singapore, you pay a premium for the privelege.
Unless you are a civil servant living in Perlis, where the Menteri Besar has suggested that they cycle to work instead. Riding a bicycle in KL is truly a deathwish. And I don't think they even allow bicycles on the commuter trains or LRT.
Then there's the PM's rebuttal about how Petronas can't "afford" to absorb the increase, because they've already given so much in taxes. But isn't Petronas Government-owned? So, isn't it like a left-pocket, right-pocket thing? And what about how the other petrol companies would "profit" from Petronas absorbing the cost? Maybe - but if the petrol trade were deregulated, then the market forces would decide. Today, prices are fixed, with no possibility of discounting.
I do accept that we cannot live on Government petrol subsidies. But not driving isn't an option. Not when the state of public transportation is what it is today.
So back to my carton of fresh milk; now I'm faced with either not having fresh milk in my coffee, or using the company-provided condensed milk. Or should I change my lifestyle and give up coffee altogether?
Moooo-t point, I think.
