Two years ago, my sentiment regarding the fuel hike was slightly, to say the least, different. I had anticipated this but I wasn’t happy nonetheless.
Since moving to Switzerland, I have had a chance to experience the “other” side which I thought was always fantastic. Y’know, the whole “the grass is greener on the other side” mentality. It isn’t in many ways.
Many Malaysians don’t know how good they have it…
Rising cost of living? Come to Switzerland where you pay, dollar to dollar, 30 to 90 CHF per kilo of meat, 10 to 30 CHF per kilo of vegetable/fruit and 20 to 40 CHF per kilo of dairy (milk, cheese or eggs). Eating out costs 16 CHF for two kebabs to 30 CHF for two pizzas and two drinks. Nil and I don’t patronized expensive restaurants because we can’t afford it. We barely eat out as it is because it’s cheaper eating at home. We do our groceries the smart way – buying when things are on sale.
Cheaper car? Sorry, but even though cars are cheaper here, the price of fuel, maintenance, parking, tax, and insurance aren’t. Even getting a Swiss driving licenses costs nearly 200 CHF. So we don’t own a car. We walk, or we take the public transport.
Sucky public transport? Okay, so Malaysian public transport sucks but it’s privatised and if it doesn’t make money (read: if people don’t use it), how is it going to improve on its services and networks? If the Government has to bail the companies out, then we’re back to square one – the whole “if it doesn’t work out, the Government will bail me” type of mentality.
High electricity rates? I have to pay for electricity, heating and water on top of my rental. That amounts up to nearly 1.5K CHF per month and it’s considered a rather low-average figure in Switzerland. I would have to pay more but we cut corners whenever we can. Have you looked at how you consume electricity? Nil and I switched to energy efficient light bulbs, refrigerator and stove top/oven. We don’t turn on the lights until it’s after 9pm because the sunsets only then. I know of people who complain about their rising electricity bill yet they go to bed in air-conditioned rooms where the unit runs at the lowest temp, maximum speed for at least eight hours or more, all year round; leave the lights on even though they aren’t in the room/house and so forth.
Unscrupulous hawker stall owners? Look, if you have to pay RM5 for a bowl of noodles with nothing, why are you still going to that hawker stall? If you can’t afford to eat out, cook at home. If you don’t know how to cook, learn.
Nevertheless, I still want to see what the Government is doing with all the saved subsidies. Ever considered pushing them to invest more time, energy and money into sustainable fuel?
In the meantime, please, Malaysians, don’t complain about how you’re suffering when you can still afford food on the table, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and toys to play with as well as other “miscellaneous” items like that shopping spree, luxury coffee, gifts and occasional bribe. The increases affects the poor and lower echelons of society more than it does you. Besides even though whining is allowed, after a while if that’s all you do, you’re nothing more than a whiner.
More here.
I hate to say this, but you are truly disconnected from Malaysia. You don’t seem to have ANY idea how Malaysians are living right now. People have enough food on the table? Sure, the middle classes (who are barely winging it) and the rich. The poor, of which has increased in number no matter the government tells you? Not so much.
And your statement about public transport is a very naive one.
People don’t use public transport because it’s disorganised, badly planned, unreliable.
And a cleaning lady once told me she can’t afford to take LRT to work because it’s too expensive.
Don’t live in the comfort of Switzerland and tell Malaysians not to be angry, my dear.
Messy Christian: A lot of Malaysians whom I know who are busy complaining about the price hike and how it affects them still have loads to spare; they are the ones who patronize Starbucks, La Bodega and etc, yet complain about a price hike that really doesn’t affect them at all.
I never said that this doesn’t affect the poor. As a matter of fact, if you read my last line, I mentioned that it affects the poor and lower classes like that cleaning lady you mentioned more than you and those in the middle and upper middle classes. So yes, of course for her, it’s bleeding expensive when she earns less than 1K and her employer cheats her. What do the rest of us who are educated and have better access to laws and stuff do about employment rights? We don’t even demand fair pay much or less do much for those in the poor or lower classes.
As for my “naive” statement on public transport, lets look it at this way. If no one takes the public transport and it’s privatized thus running on demand & supply, what’s going to happen in the long run? Do you think it’ll get any better?
Yes, it sucks, it’s badly disorganized and it’s unreliable (buses at least) – I have mentioned this so many times before. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to buy a bike/car and then complain about why fuel goes up when demand outstrips the supply? Is the general M’sian population going to complain about how sucky public transportation is yet go to work in the (dis)comforts of a car/bike?
Do not assume that just because I have been living in Switzerland for the past five months that I’m disconnected from Malaysia or that I’m living in comfort. It just shows how precious little you know about life here in particular or life abroad for the rest of us. Do you pay 48 CHF for a return train ticket? Just because I’m living in Switzerland, it doesn’t mean I’m living in comfort. Do not be like other more ignorant M’sians and assume that everyone who has a toe dipped in foreign soil is living in comfort.
I am not saying Malaysians cannot be angry. You are allowed to be angry, you are allowed to whine but for gawd’s sake, don’t just be angry and do nothing about it. Don’t just whine and do nothing about it.
Remember the fuel hike in 2006? People whine, complained and got angry…after that? Macam hangat hangat tahi ayam. That pisses me off more than the whining or getting angry.
aside from the public transportation bit – i do agree with you!
i’d love to see housing going back during the colonial days – where houses were built to withstand tropical heat – i.e. high ceilings, wide windows, verandahs, etc… rather than the houses we see in malaysia today – built for maximum air-con comfort!
as pained as i am at my pocketbook, i do think the fuel hike is warranted. it would be great if the government, ministers, etc.. would do more for the people of course! i’m already planning to walk more, use public transportation when i can, drive less… consume less.. i hope for the middle-class malaysians to do the same.
cheers!
unperfect: Now that the situation has cooled a little, do you think that others (unlike yourself) will change how they consume energy/food/natural resources?