Blazing Fuel Tank!
At last, the dreaded announcement on gas price hike by Prime Minister had been made. Petrol price have increased eventually to RM$2.70/litre (41% increase) after 12.00midnight, beginning on 5th June 2008. It didn’t struck my mind at all when I saw hundreds of car’s and motorbikes queued in long stretches at every petrol kiosk throughout my journey back home from work yesterday evening that the fuel price is about to increase in couple of hours later. I was just thinking that everyone is ``kiasu’’ to the impending announcement to be made later that day by our Prime Minister, who had earlier said that any changes on the price will only be effected only in August . However, many were caught by surprise of the immediate price hike announcement, hence causing massive jams as consumers scrambled to have their vehicle tanks filled to the fullest.
I’ve never seen such a massive traffic jam condition created due to `petrol crunch’ in my life! I left work ad 6.00pm and reached home at 8.00pm. Suspecting something amiss, I turned the 8.00pm news (TV3) and confirmed my fear. It was correct prediction. Government had increased the oil price indeed, effectively the following day! So, what’s next? I drive to work, covering over 80kms daily. This will cost me RM$100 to fully pump in fuel instead of normal RM$70! No joke, I drive to work from Kulai to Desa Cemerlang, Ulu Tiram industrial estate daily! Now, I have to review all strategies again to minimize impact and rethink long distance journey plans in future carefully.
What are in the pipeline stored for us now? Past experience shows that price of goods and services too will start to increase steadily thence on. Our transport system is not all that efficient to ferry commuters from one location to another. Unlike other countries, say like Singapore, which has a fantastic integrated transportation system for public to conveniently rely upon, our's is in tatters, haphazardly managed and often than not never follow proper schedules on time. We are always so proud to have one of the best road network systems in Asia/world, but in actual fact, we built many of these ways not to maximum convenient or taking account the future conditioning but rather just fulfilling a certain requirement at a point of time.
I was quite amused, just before the election, when the billboards erected across nations at strategic location displays the fuel price differences sold in our neighbouring countries. A clear sign to show how low are our rates as compared to them. However, it does’t mean anything to most of us because we have to see how efficient their systems are in place, especially when benchmarking Singapore. I am sure we wanted to display the best to the world in everything we do but when comes to ``economy management’’, we are definitely have done many wrong doings!
I felt very sad and at times angry or somewhat perplexed how our system had stooped so low till we are struggling with our ``riches’’ as one of fastest developing nation in the world. I am a normal citizen not a politician but clearly understood most of the things not right up there. What is happening? We need an astute finance Minister like the late Tun Tan Siew Sin. Give the job to a person who is well versed in the field of economics not just to certain elected representative who serve political interest and failed the people who have entrusted them.
We spent our money like nobody business, no much savings, buildings houses and roads and all the mega projects but to be abandon later. We try to please political ally system (whatever team out there) but never please the quality of life we are being given or tracked on by the very people we entrusted upon. We should have done away the `subsidy’ system so long ago gradually in all forms and compete to improve our lot with hard, grit and strong determination to succeed. Whatever race, color, religion one can be in this beautiful nation or ours, all must be excelling to their fullest term without deprivation of any sort.
At last, the dreaded announcement on gas price hike by Prime Minister had been made. Petrol price have increased eventually to RM$2.70/litre (41% increase) after 12.00midnight, beginning on 5th June 2008. It didn’t struck my mind at all when I saw hundreds of car’s and motorbikes queued in long stretches at every petrol kiosk throughout my journey back home from work yesterday evening that the fuel price is about to increase in couple of hours later. I was just thinking that everyone is ``kiasu’’ to the impending announcement to be made later that day by our Prime Minister, who had earlier said that any changes on the price will only be effected only in August . However, many were caught by surprise of the immediate price hike announcement, hence causing massive jams as consumers scrambled to have their vehicle tanks filled to the fullest.
I’ve never seen such a massive traffic jam condition created due to `petrol crunch’ in my life! I left work ad 6.00pm and reached home at 8.00pm. Suspecting something amiss, I turned the 8.00pm news (TV3) and confirmed my fear. It was correct prediction. Government had increased the oil price indeed, effectively the following day! So, what’s next? I drive to work, covering over 80kms daily. This will cost me RM$100 to fully pump in fuel instead of normal RM$70! No joke, I drive to work from Kulai to Desa Cemerlang, Ulu Tiram industrial estate daily! Now, I have to review all strategies again to minimize impact and rethink long distance journey plans in future carefully.
What are in the pipeline stored for us now? Past experience shows that price of goods and services too will start to increase steadily thence on. Our transport system is not all that efficient to ferry commuters from one location to another. Unlike other countries, say like Singapore, which has a fantastic integrated transportation system for public to conveniently rely upon, our's is in tatters, haphazardly managed and often than not never follow proper schedules on time. We are always so proud to have one of the best road network systems in Asia/world, but in actual fact, we built many of these ways not to maximum convenient or taking account the future conditioning but rather just fulfilling a certain requirement at a point of time.
I was quite amused, just before the election, when the billboards erected across nations at strategic location displays the fuel price differences sold in our neighbouring countries. A clear sign to show how low are our rates as compared to them. However, it does’t mean anything to most of us because we have to see how efficient their systems are in place, especially when benchmarking Singapore. I am sure we wanted to display the best to the world in everything we do but when comes to ``economy management’’, we are definitely have done many wrong doings!
I felt very sad and at times angry or somewhat perplexed how our system had stooped so low till we are struggling with our ``riches’’ as one of fastest developing nation in the world. I am a normal citizen not a politician but clearly understood most of the things not right up there. What is happening? We need an astute finance Minister like the late Tun Tan Siew Sin. Give the job to a person who is well versed in the field of economics not just to certain elected representative who serve political interest and failed the people who have entrusted them.
We spent our money like nobody business, no much savings, buildings houses and roads and all the mega projects but to be abandon later. We try to please political ally system (whatever team out there) but never please the quality of life we are being given or tracked on by the very people we entrusted upon. We should have done away the `subsidy’ system so long ago gradually in all forms and compete to improve our lot with hard, grit and strong determination to succeed. Whatever race, color, religion one can be in this beautiful nation or ours, all must be excelling to their fullest term without deprivation of any sort.
Oops! Where I am? Come to fuel issue. My car tank surely will set ``ablaze’’ and my expenses will need readjustment. This too cause burning of my ``budget pocket’’, so much so that I am thinking to shift nearer to my work place to save transport cost and have to re-budget my expenses. My ``heads spins'' to see many escalating prices of domestic goods and services in such a short time! You could read more comments by public members in http://www.malaysiakini.com/
