Prime Minister Najib caught Malaysians unaware by cutting subsidy on five items: sugar, cooking gas, Ron 95, Ron 97, and diesel. The country will save RM750 million subsequently. Najib said money saved will be used on education and health.
Najib also claimed that the opinions of people were sought, and they agreed to subsidy cuts. The claim was doubtful as reports in various media showed otherwise. Instead of cutting subsidy, people wanted the government to do away with wasteful spending and check on corruption which is rampant.
With the money saved, how can the public monitor whether it will be truly used in the said category? There had been numerous unfulfilled promises since the days of Dr. Mahathir, so much so that people are unconvinced by the “sincerity” of the government.
Malaysia could be a very prosperous country. We have many natural resources, yet we are lagging behind our neighbor Singapore which has nothing. We were the pride of Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, our economies surpassed China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. But today not only these countries have overtaken us, even the backward countries like Vietnam and Cambodia will soon be able to jeer at us.
It is very disappointed that our standard of living is on the decline. If not because of corruption by our leaders, we would not suffer lack. Sad to say that today Malaysia is one of the most expensive place to live in the world. Don’t believe? Let me enclose a message which was written by a frustrated Malaysian I received in Facebook. I am sure many Malaysians can identify with the thoughts of the writer. But what to do, since we don’t have any means to migrate?
Message by a frustrated Malaysian:
What do we get for paying all the toll fares every day? The roads are built with our tax money and we still have to pay exorbitant toll fares just to use them.
The momentum of the government policies is moving towards cutting off all subsidies. The petrol that comes from our own oil wells will soon cost the same like that of countries that own no wells.
Then the extra GST (goods and services tax) that serves no purpose to the consumers, except making the government richer.
Now we have to pay RM50 just to have the convenience of using a credit card.
Why is it getting so expensive to live in Malaysia now?
Here are more reasons why:
- We have to pay for security guards because the police are totally useless.
- We have to install expensive water filters because the water supply is so dirty and rusty.
- We have to watch satellite TV because the government teleasts are so substandard.
- We have to send our children for tuition because the government schools are below par.
- We have to send our grown children to private colleges because the government colleges are primarily reserved for a certain group.
- Even when our children earn many “A”s, that does not guarantee a place in the local universities. Thus we have to spend more money to send our children overseas.
- In many places, we have to pay IPPs (Independent Power Providers) because the government is not able to provide consistent electricity supply.
- We have to pay Indah Water to clean up the sewers.
- We have to buy our own cars because the public transport is a big fat joke.
- We have to pay taxes for foreign cars because a certain old politician and his cronies need to keep the dying local car industry alive.
- We have to pay the AP (Approved Permits) cost for imported cars and these APs are controlled by the politicians and their cronies.
- We can only visit few clients in a day because the government does not know how to prevent traffic jams.
- We have to drive through floods every time the storm hits. Some places, not only our streets are flooded but our homes.
- We have to pay bribes to the police because they are experts in creating fake traffic offenses.
- We even have to pay the dog catchers to leave our pets alone.
- We have to pay to sustain the government’s affirmative action policies.
- We have to pay for private health care because the public hospitals are too crowded.
Our hard-earned saving is shrinking because the Malaysian Ringgit is currently struggling to keep up with other currencies.
To the Expatriates, Malaysia is a cheap place to live but to those of us who earn small salaries in Malaysian Ringgit, this country is getting very expensive to survive.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
July 17th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Count me in as one of the many frustrated Malaysian. What seems to be a country of abundance have been raped by the selfish but powerful few.
Keep voting UMNO and BN and keep on getting rape. Wake up Malaysians!
July 17th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
all the robbed and looted money send overseas for save keeping mana ada duit pusingan d m`sia lagi 1st batch of looted cash smugglered out 1997 via GEORGE SOROS RM600billion as reported america pulled-out investment worth RM600billion konon america not that stupid to invest this much in m`sia my guest RM300billion maybe n another RM300BILLION U KNOW I KNOW.
July 17th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Migrate to Australia whhere your tax works for your true benefit. free high quality education, free universal health services, clean living environment , minimum income security etc etc
July 17th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
i hear you. the government are too stupid to manage our country!
it really sad that our country is being managed by a bunch of greedy and incompetent idiots i am so angry to what has happen to Malaysia. i am a graduate earning rm2k a month. it just really sad how every month i had to borrow money from my parent still because my salary just does not cover it!
July 17th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
How true! Looks like we have to wait till GE-13, but then again there are still SO MANY who will vote UMNO no matter what! Sigh………….
July 17th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I am speechless and i tell u every time i chat with my friend in msn all are asking me to join them overseas. I wonder when i will hold on in this country long enough when things are squeezing me out. I passed away many opportunity before this. frustrated
July 17th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Another point to add to the list of grievances, all utilities infrastructure such as water supply pump station, water tanks and towers, water pipes, electrical substations and electrical cables to homes and shops, telephone distribution panels, sewerage oxidation pond and treatment plant and many more are built by developers and not the utility companies and at the end of the test and commissioning of the said facilities, they are “surrendered” to the utility companies.
For example, developers have to hand over F.O.C these assets to the utility companies and pay a “development contribution cost” to the water utility company for the utility company personnel to come, open the valve to the water tanks and “certify” that the water is “clean” i.e asalkan nampak jernih, OK. As for electrical infrastructure, “connection charges” for electrical supply, meter charges before contractor can install meter, which is not supplied by TNB and pay a fee to HANDOVER substations to TNB.
Guess what, these costs are passed on to the buyers themselves. Where this money go to, its an open secret. It certainly is not used to improve utility service for residents or business owners. Remember Namewee who had to lash out at the TNB staff at his residential area before getting supply back on after many hours of black out ?
July 17th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Exercise our right, vote BN (Barang Naik) out of the picture and get a better goverment so that they no leakages, wasteages and corruption.. YES WE CAN CHANGE in the next GE13
July 17th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
we are being raped by this government it is to change our mindset and go forward please vote for opposition and see whether there is any changes.And please do not forget that we are malaysian and this country also belongs to us Viva pakatan
July 17th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I’m one of the small salaries workers in Malaysia. For the past 4 years our monthly expenses just for food raise 3 times. That means 300%.What kind of government that raised our expenses but failed to offer a rewards for the small salaries group?.Let see how UBN-Najib-Rosmah begging for our votes in the coming PRU.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
RememberHulu Selangor where if BN win you can come tomorrow to collect the cheque. Well, that is for education isn’t it. You help me and I will help you or words to that effect. That is the quid pro quo offered to the Sibu voters. A lot of it also goes to education and health (No flood, less disease prone!). 1Malaysia clinics is also health lah! We Malaysia are so lucky to get back something for the taxes we paid. We should all go on our knees to thank our benvolent government for the crumbs and tiny mercies offered, especially at election time. It takes very little to have our East Malaysian Brothers to become the “fixed deposits” of the BN. WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. WITHOUT CORRUPTION, CRONYISM AND UMNOPUTRAISM, WE MALAYSIAN CAN BE WELL OFF.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Can’t disagree with you on these issues.We are all screwed up. Our ringgit is going to end up like the ruppiah so that when you eat you got to pay minimum 20 ringgit for one lunch. They are ruining our country and we just can’t do anything about it.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
We Malaysians are being screwed up. The malays are being fed with the ketuanan crab and now that stupid Donald Duck suggests that Chinese have their own perkasa. Now it sounds morfe like he is playing up to UMNO / BN”s ajenda. That will give UMNO more ammuntion to fire that chinese are after the malays. Tell the Donald Duck to keep his mouth shut.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
It would not be a bad idea to save in Sing-Dollars and Australian Dollars to hedge against the falling MYR.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
It was a hard but brilliant decision to migrate to New Zealand ten years ago.
Kids enjoyed world class education, each resident and citizen’s welfare is assured off. Being the No. 1 least corrupted country in the world in 2010; our tax money are accounted for each cent and put into good use. New Zealand has two university ranked among the top 50 in the world.
There is absolutely no corruptions or crafty “projects” in New Zealand. The minimum wage at MacDonald’s is NZ$12.50, patrol is only NZ$1.70/litre (NZ is a net importer of patrolium!). If your total family income is below NZ$125,000 you are entitle to tax credit on weekly basis (yes, weekly direct deposit to your savings account). Uni student get weekly allowance (i.e pocket money) around $199. Young child in the family gets NZ$87.50 each per week regardless of income bracket. Sounds to good to be true? That is why you can see heaps of new Malaysian faces migrating here each week.
Medicare is world class here. Visit a GP you pay like $10 to $15. Medication cost is heavily subsidise for residents; for example, medication cost of $90; we pay only $3 to $5 dollar.
Every class room in intermediate of junior college is heated up during winter and each is equip with a brand Apple iBook for the class. To top it off, each class has individual color projector.
Malaysia, we loved you very much; but do you really love all as equal? My children are using only New Zealand passport, this is to make sure they can visit Malaysia but never go back and live there. For those who is qualified to migrate, do not wait further and let one or more generation suffer.
You have to hurry up, as the world economy is in a recession, the migration door had been closing since the last two years for Australia, UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Those who cannot migrate, make sure not only you exercise your voting right; get all your mates to register and vote for a fair and just government in the coming GE13. We wish you all well and God Bless Malaysia.
My forefathers had wasted 52 years to hope for a good lifestyle, but we chose not to wait another 52 years for miracles to happen. Enough is enough! What is your plan and when you will execute your next action for a better future? Migrate or exercise correctly your voting right
July 17th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Cost of living in Sabah is even more expensive as many goods are more expensive in Sabah than in Peninsula. Just for your info, McD’s ice cream costs RM1.50 in Sabah whereas RM1.00 in KL. Is this fair and acceptable?
July 17th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Yes, it’s all so outrageously ridiculous to have our own government draining us all dry.
I recalled a person telling me about a certain company using , abusing & exploiting the staffs till they have no more usage…then these staffs will be discarded.
Now, i guess the government is practising this concept.
May their soul rot in HELL come judgement day. Especially the politician.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:37 am
Dr Mahathir is the worst thing that has happened to this country. He continues to spew venom. Why? All he cares about is himself, his family, his relatives, his friends and his cronies.
It doesn’t require a PhD to analyze the reasons why many malays are still poor for the new economy in spite of the NEP and all we hear – the true reason for the failure of the malays are MAHATHIR MAHATHIR MAHATHIR……….and nothing else.
Mahathir biggest achievements are not the white elephant KLIA, the robber highways, the meaningless Twin Towers, ghost town Putrajaya, failed MSC, sweat shop factories run with foreign labour, etc.
His true achievements are the destruction of good governance, law and order, quality education, religious brotherhood, peace and harmony.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:50 am
We made a decision to emigrate to Australia 15 years ago deserting my high fly corporate position with our three children.
If history could turn back, we would still do the same.
It is a joke when our three children are fully qualified in their respective professions, then our Malaysia leaders only realize that “Actually English is very important in this era of globalization, let us go back to English again in our primary school for science and mathematics subjects”.
It is fortunate that we had our own thinking and were able to jump out from this “black box” of trial and error type of management in practically every aspect of the government administration machinery. As a result, our children do not waste their precious years.
Our children enjoy the experience of equal opportunity not only in education but also in employment. That has a very strong impact in character development because then they believe in themselves, i.e. their own ability and equal opportunity available for personal development to the fullest extent.
And they could fight for their own rights too simply because the environment encourages them to do so, i.e. freedom to think, and freedom to express. They enjoy their work in their respective professions and they have both close Australian and Asian friends.
The Australian authority treats the problem of racial discrimination very seriously and takes action very fast. I still remember those days when my youngest son was teased by certain racial remarks by his schoolmate. My wife reported the case to the school authority and after a proper investigation, the Aussie kid was made to make a public apology to my son and was suspended a week from school attendance.
Australia herself is a country of migrants from all over the world, the Italians, the British and other Europeans also never give up their citizenships although they may stay for over many many years. If they tell you to go back to China, you have equal rights to tell them to go back to whatever country they come from. “Fight for your rights” is the spirit.
What we are concerned is actually the management of the country. There is enough wealth to be distributed among all the people who can theoretically enjoy better life, better education and better medical facility. But the poor management and evil corruption have eroded away what the people deserve. If people demand a change, “racialism” is always a powerful tool to protect the regime.
The Australian government extinguishes any little spark that concerns racial issue. There are strict laws and they are very good in enforcements. The two-party system ensure no one monopolizes the government. If the government is not good, people will vote it out for sure.
It is a land of plenty, and of equal opportunity for everyone. One will make his way if he is prepared to seize the opportunity and work hard for it. No one believes in “God” will give, and most believes the creation and reward from their own hand and intelligence.
Though we pay high taxes, the future is more or less ensured as in case we are sick or in difficulty, we have all the assistance from the authority. It is the rights for every kid in Australia to have the opportunity to finish his tertiary education if he could make an attempt and possible financial assistance is always there.
Australia’s economy is very robust now and most universities graduates and school leavers are doing very well. My three kids who are qualified as professionals at a very young age are doing very well. They would not have achieved that type of level if we were to remain in our country of birth. Thank God!
We face less racial discrimination in workplace and university in Australia than in our country of birth.
The ironical fact is that we are being treated more a first class citizen in our host country than in our own country.
Human rights, good administration, equal opportunity and transparency convince us that it is no point wasting our precious time in our own country.
If you really miss our own country, earn and save more money in the host country and join the shiver hair program later on. If you have the money, any country will welcome you for sure.
In general, it is an educated society. People talk not shout, and people reason not accuse and moreover, it is a much cleaner and more beautiful place to live. I am pleased with my decision and have no regrets at all.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:10 am
The truth hurts.
The Chinese or the yellow race is what brings progress. Just look at Asia……….is enough.
Whether they do it internationally or locally they will survive.
We can distinctly see the lowering of Malaysia standards of living as the percentage of Chinese in this country goes down.
In the 70s we were tops with 40 over percent of Chinese and today with only 25 percent we are far behind Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea.
Main reason is the number of such Chinese migrating to these countries – the best ones and rich ones.
Next ten years as the percentage goes even lower, we would be nearing Indonesia or Philippines.
Meanwhile enjoy your stay and the good time.
On the whole as the Chinese spreads out throughout the world, the average standards of these will have much higher standards of living over others.
July 18th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Hopefully things will change in a few years time..
July 18th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
The Malaysian Government’s forever-changing policies in education does not augur well for the future of local university graduates who, mostly, cannot speak and write in English.
Nowadays, we encounter local university graduates who are professional engineers, doctors, architects etc..who cannot express themselves in English as most of the time, they are monolingual only.
The recent Govt decision to revert the teaching of Mathematics and Science in the Malay Language will set Malaysia’s education system back by another 30 years. No doubt, it will make English take a backseat and eventually exterminate the English Language as an international lingua franca.
The Chinese in Malaysia are in a slightly better position as most of them are bilingual or even trilingual..as parents prefer to send their children to Chinese-medium and NOT National schools
July 18th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
That enforce my faith to leave Malaysia.
(whatever some of you might like to call me coward or betrayer… I enough of all this tricks! Only those labours from our neighbor, believe Malaysia is heaven as claim by our leader)
Reformist, good luck to all of you and hope you all can make a better Malaysia.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:13 am
we really need to transfer every bit of information to the masses as fast as we can so that a new government can be formed and hopefully they can help us live comfortably, safely and better than now….
July 19th, 2010 at 12:18 am
I still remembered few weeks ago the government had assured us there will be no price increase for the petroleum within 2010. Unfortunately it was an early Christmas gift from the government today. hahahaa … Malaysia REALLY Boleh !
Good bye BN for the next GE !
July 19th, 2010 at 3:12 am
Lousy article from a 3rd world school dropout!
It is an insult to my intelligence.
Please study economy first before you wrote a rubbish like this.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Remember Abudullah Badawi’s tenure when he made a sharp petrol hike of RM0.68/L? He claimed that the millions of Ringgit saved would be used to improve public transport.
Hitherto do we see any infrastructure coming out? Nothing. Is that huge sum of money still reserved for the said purpose? I believed that the money used to cover the holes of other deficits with good excuses.
Now Najib is using the same ploy again. The reason that the leaders could continue to fool us was because MALAYSIANS ARE ALWAYS VERY FORGETFUL. Come GE13, BN leaders NEED only to sing some beautiful Song of Promise, and many who abhorred BN policies would give them another mandate again. This is Bolehland.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:46 pm
For as long as we have such intelligence as Farid being representative of Malaysians, Malaysia will forever be the rectal end of the global anatomy !!!
Farid is either one of those who are screwing Malaysians with propaganda because ” he is alright Jack ” and is not disaffected by the plights of Malaysians or that his level of intelligence does not allow him to be capable of assessing and evaluating that he needs to take his head out of the sand. He remains in denial mode that poor fella. Malaysians should take note of the two who have written from New Zealand and Australia. Like them I made the decision because I had the foresight to do so 40 years ago and I concur with those who have been fortunate enough to migrate. However, I still have Malaysian friends who remain myopic when it comes to the realities and demise of the Malaysian political and social landscape. My horoscope tells me that Malaysians won’t be buying lunch for MYR20.00. It will be more like MYR100 when our currency is on par with Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Boy do I look forward to exchanging a few MYR100,000.00 notes when I visit Malaysia in the near future and sad to say it will probably only buy me a few Char Kway Teows before I have to use the ATM’s again. But then again, the ATMs themselves might be rigged and tempered with. On second thought, better go to Singapore for a holiday ! Good luck you good people.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Let me point out something – I, like lots of you, am from the middle class. Those of us who went to tuition class as kids/are sending our kids to tuition class, can even IMAGINE studying abroad, have money to hire security guards, etc….are quite far above what most other Malaysians can afford. If you think sending your kids to tuition is susah and hiring security guards is susah, your life is definitely not that susah.
What kind of small salaries are you guys complaining about? RM4k? RM2k? Since you have computers and Internet connection at home I bet you’re not like the cleaners or estate workers who earn less than RM600 per month. THAT is a small salary. THEY are the people who really should be moving to Western countries since those countries have a minimum wage.
I totally agree with the stance that our government is in terrible shape but as several of you have pointed out, things will just get worse and worse. You can moan and groan about how much nicer life is in Mat Salleh countries, but the US started out as a British colony and worse, Australia started out as a PRISON! They didn’t become nice developed countries without people putting their foot down and saying “enough is enough”.
I admit that I’m in Singapore doing my first full-time job since graduating, but I and several other Malaysian friends in my age group definitely plan to return for our long-term careers, not planning to “escape” even further overseas. We value our potential to make a difference more than our potential to make money. Also, the moment I hear about when the next General Election is, I’m going to my boss with a leave request. I would encourage others like us, ESPECIALLY Christians, in our mid-20s to 30s to really think about why we’re put here on ear th. Is it just to have a comfy life, or is it to speak out for the voiceless among uss?
July 25th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
dear young lady hwa s-h, if your ‘enough is enough’ is against greed, corruption, injustice, dishonesty, total disregard for law and order and upholding basic human rights, and perpetrations of evil and wickedness of the highest order, then you are probably having your finger on the pulse of a nation where her ppl currently moan and groan in the context of the above article
but if it is only about minimum wages or middle class or upper affluence and what that affords (does not mean we don’t thank God for blessings from an honest day’s work), it can be like rubbing salt into bleeding wounds
we are talking about accountability and transparency in governance where the ordinary (that includes all who responded in moans and groans) taxpayer’s contributions into the public coffers are used to bail out others who have no intention to succeed in their projects unless layered by massive cost over-runs and pay-outs to go-betweens or self who neither toil nor sweat much but thrive on abuse of positions and opportunities to loot and plunder which is but one factor in the whole spectrum of why the common folk feels the pinch: as the coffers empty out, ways and means are issued as official edicts of law to continue the supply, hence prices rise with subsidies removed; or through that RM50 on each of our credit cards dll…….
speaking out for the voiceless is needful; speaking out and making a stand -(whether by voting, seeking the truth, keeping informed and being civil and peace-loving citizens…)- against the transgressions of God’s laws is binding upon each and every right-thinking and Godfearing citizen of this land, which, let’s face it, is in crisis, from every aspect one can think of: politically, socially, racially, judicially, economically, spiritually et al
Lord God Almighty, have mercy upon malaysia
July 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
The God who lets me serve Him teaches me to love, to forgive, to rejoice, to keep my treasure and my heart in His hands, and to trust that He will always give me more than I need — wherever He has placed me at any given time.
Sometimes the weight of the fallenness in our Malaysia seems unbearable, but God can redeem great evil for greater good, no? I will count it a privilege if He uses me anywhere in the ongoing process of redeeming this beautiful nation.
July 27th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Dear Hwa Shi-Hsia, First of all why are you not working in Malaysia? Is it a form of escapism or a lack of opportunities here?
Malaysia, a once Asia-tiger which was feared by many economic rivals, is now a toothless sick cat. Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are on the gain as we have spent billions to educate these elites who left for a greener pasture yonder.
As you said you and your friends working at foreign lands planned to return and worked. But what can these people do when they are far away? Do they just wait and see a better Malaysia to take shape one day? Unfortunately many of their dreams of returning home faded as the foreign countries needed their contributions and subsequently citizenship is granted. There have been umpteen such cases.
Until and unless we are willing to endure hardship by staying behind for the sake of fighting for a better Malaysia, a vision of coming back to serve the nation is consider vague.
July 27th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Dear A Student, you were right that God can redeem this nation. You can do something the next time when you vote. I am sure you know from the Bible what God desires the nations of the world.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:55 am
This is an expatriate’s point of view.
Firstly, please dont assume that all expatriates are on FAT salaries. That’s a thing of the past (gone about 5years + now). There’s a very small percentage of expatriates who are posted here as CEO’s/MD’s on a 2 year contract who earn the sky simply becuase their GBP/Euro or USD salaries have been converted and 70% is paid in MR and the rest in foreign currency overseas.
Second, there’s a larger group of expatriates who work here and contribute to the intellectual capital of the country. But there are certain ‘restrictions’ and ‘cultural’ policies/tendencies which (in other countries) can be construed as ‘prohibitive practices’. Knowledge and experience is still not held or given preference here. This leads to an inordinate amount of frustration and in the process, the expatriates end up leaving Malaysia after years of working here.
Third and last,instead of griping, if change is what one wants, one has to start with one-self. Can the socio-economic policies be changed overnight? No. Can meritocracy be implemented overnight? No. Can ethical business practices be the norm? No. Simply because no one person can do it. In order to do this, as a citizen one has to empower oneself by beleiving that the little change they make in their sphere of influence will affect another 3 people. And thus, a group of like minded people can effect change, but over a period of time.
For e.g take India– the country’s middle class and its politicians have absolutely no convergence. Infact, half the things one has complained about are “luxury” to the Indian middle class. But when it comes to certain issues of principles, the Indian citizens rise up to protest and protest vehemently till the state or federal govt addresses it.
A scond e.g is the recent UK elections– again the required change was driven by the citizens who have been hit in ever which way. But in order to get what they want, they “voted” in people who they beleive will do something concrete and not just “talk”.
So is there a lesson to be learnt? Yes, we need to be willing to push ourselves and be uncomfortable. Only when we are ‘uncomfortable’ will we get change, will we activate change. And activate change through social enterprises and commerce.Without change in mindset going to play football wont win us the game, since we’re starting off with a defeatist attitude.
Till we are ready to accept that the norm can be changed, all we will do, is shoot bullets in the air.