Anger.
That was the general feeling amongst Malaysians at the government’s decision to increase the petrol price by 40%.
I met up with some friends at a teh tarik stall in PJ, and we were fuming. We lashed out our pent up anger and frustrations. We tried to find some justification in the government’s decision, but we found none. We thought of new ways to cope with the increase, cutting down on unnecessary expenditure, contemplating NGV as alternative fuel. We suggested ways on how to go on from here, on how to make the government realize our dissatisfaction at the whole issue.
My group of friends that night are all salarymen. We come from various profession and we draw an average salary of around RM2,300 per month and we feel the pinch. We don’t have families to feed and still we feel the increase was excessive. We could only imagine what a blue collar worker earning a salary of less than RM1,000 per month with families to feed might feel.
I do think that Malaysians understand that a price increase was necessary. Crude oil prices have skyrocketed in the past few months. We understand that the government cannot maintain the current subsidy.
What we are angry about is way in which the increase was carried out.
A gradual increase over a period of 6 months to 1 year would allow the rakyat to slowly adapt. Perhaps an immediate increase of RM0.30, followed by another increase of RM0.30 six months later, over a reasonable time period. But to increase it by 40% immediately is like yanking the subsidy from right underneath our feet.
We’ve been told that we need a lifestyle change. Yes, we will try to be better at managing our finances. But allow us time to do so. At the end of the day, fuel is fuel is fuel. We cannot run from consuming it. How big a lifestyle change that we affect, we will still feel the pinch. Why can’t our leaders be conscionable enough to ease us slowly into this reality?
At the same time, our leaders should lead by example. If you tell us to take public transport, show us the way! Put your Mercedes in your garage and take the bus to your spiffy offices in Putrajaya. If you tell us to better manage our finances, then stop all wastages in your ministries. Shelve the numerous corridors for now, revive it later when we have the funds. Scrap the space program. Don’t send your people for the frequent lawatan sambil belajar overseas. Don’t buy submarines and jets for now.
Practice what you preach, they say.
Why were we given the impression that the fuel hike will be in August? Why was the announcement made in less than 8 hours time? Why are you flip-flopping on the issue of sale to foreign cars? Why as an oil producing country, we are paying a premium for oil? What happened to all the taxes that the government levied on oil and plantation companies? These are pertinent questions that need to be addressed by our leaders.
A drastic increase in fuel prices will result in an increase in the price of other goods. Inflation will surely follow. At the same time, our earnings do not see an increase to match. Realities of life would lead many to desperation, thus we can foresee a sharp increase in crime rate.
And to top it off, there’s not much that we can do about it. We’ve just had an elections and unless Saudara Anwar’s claims of cross-overs become a reality, we have to live with what we have. We can hold protests, but already we have been warned not to exercise our democratic right to hold peaceful assemblies. Our cries are falling upon deaf ears.
The future looks rather grim for our fair country.
