This is a very good and informative read. Digest the facts and numbers:

WHAT IS NEVER MENTIONED IN Mainstream Media like NST/TheStar/Utusan Malaysia/Berita Harian are these facts….

Malaysian Per Capita Income USD 5000 VS Singaporean Per Capita Income USD 25000

Furthermore, The Star made a comparison of prices in Thailand , Singapore and Indonesia .

For Thailand it is quoted at RM3.90/liter, however are they aware that in Thailand new cars are cheaper than Malaysia by RM10,000? They pay only one life time for their driving license? No renewal fee after that? Also that goes for road tax as well? And do The Star also aware that you can drive all the way from Haadyai to Bangkok on a six lane highway without paying any Tolls ??!! Whereas here in Malaysia you have to pay yearly renewal for road tax , driving license and TOLLS, TOLLS, TOLLS!!!

For Singapore how can you quote RM 5.20 ? Please quote in Singapore Dollars because they are earning in Sing Dollars. You might as well say Europeans are paying RM10/liter. RM5.20/liter = Sing $ 2.20/liter, still cheaper than Malaysia in view of fact that Singapore is not a crude oil exporter. Are you saying that you fill up petrol in Singapore by paying Ringgit? Dumbass!

In economy, dollar to dollar must be compared as apple to apple. Not comparing like durian in M’sia is much cheaper than durian in Japan!! Of course-lah, Japan is not durian producer!!! Comparing Malaysian durian with Thailand durian make more sense!!

For Indonesia we might say is cheaper there at RM2.07/liter but compare that to their level of income!

Now, let us compare the price with OIL PRODUCING countries:

UAE – RM1.19/litre
Eygpt – RM1.03/litre
Bahrain – RM0.87/litre
Qatar – RM0.68/litre
Kuwait – RM0.67/litre
Saudi Arabia – RM0.38/litre
Iran – RM0.35/litre
Nigeria – RM0.32/litre
Turkmenistan – RM0.25/litre
Venezuela – RM0.16/litre
MALAYSIA – RM2.70/litre

RM 2.70!!! Individual perspective:

As of last month a Toyota Vios would ’cause a damage’ of about RM 89,000.
In the international market, a Toyota Vios is about USD 19,000
USD 19,000 = RM 62,700 (using the indicative rates of USD 1 = RM 3.30)
That makes Malaysian Vios owners pay an extra RM 26,300.

This RM 26,300 should be cost of operations, profit and tax because the transportation costs have been factored in to the USD 19,000.

RM 26,300/ RM625 petrol rebate per year translates to a Vios being used for 42.08 years!

I do understand that the RM 625 is a rebate given by the government, but it also means that one has to use the Vios for 42.08 years just to make back the amount paid in taxes for the usage of a foreign car. Would anyone use any kind of car for that long?

Now with these numbers in front of us, does the subsidy sound like a subsidy or does it sound like a penalty? This just seems to be a heavy increment in our daily cost of living as we are not only charged with high car taxes but also with a drastic increase in fuel price.

With all the numbers listed out, I urge all Malaysians to join me in analyzing the situation further.

Car taxation is government profit, fuel sales is Petronas’ (GLC) profit which also translates into government profit. The government may ridicule us Malaysians by saying look at the world market and fuel price world wide. Please, we are Malaysians, we fought of the British, had a international port in the early centuries (Malacca), home to a racially mixed nation and most important is WE ARE NOT STUPID!!!

We know the international rates are above the USD 130/barrel. We understand the fact that the fuel prices are increasing worldwide and we also know that major scientist are still contradicting on why this phenomenon is happening. Some blame Bush and his plunders around the world and some blame climate change and there are others which say petroleum ‘wells’ are getting scarce.

Again we go back to numbers to be more straight forward

1 barrel = 159 liters x RM2.70/liter = RM 429 or USD 134

On 1 hand, we are paying the full cost of 1 barrel of crude oil with RM2.70 per liter but on the other hand the crude oil only produces 46% of fuel.

Malaysia sells crude oil per barrel at USD130 buys back Fuel per barrel at USD134. And not forgetting, every barrel of fuel is produced with 2 barrels of crude oil.

1 barrel crude oil = produce 46% fuel (or half of crude oil), therefore
2 barrel crude oil = approximately 1 barrel fuel

In other words, each time we sell 2 barrels of crude oil, equivalently we will buy back 1 barrel of fuel.

Financially,

Malaysia sell 2 barrel crude oil @ USD 130/barrel = USD 260 = RM 858
then, Malaysia will buy back fuel @ USD 134/barrel = RM 442/barrel
Thus, Malaysia earn net extra USD 126 = RM 416 for each 2 barrel of crude sold/exported vs imported 1 barrel of fuel !!!
(USD 260-134 = USD 126 = RM416)

So where this extra USD 126/barrel income is channeled to by Malaysian Govt?????????

Another analysis:

1 barrel crude oil = 159 liters.
46-47% of a barrel of crude oil = fuel that we use in our vehicles.
46% of 159 = 73.14 liters.
@ RM 2.70/liter x 73.14 liter = RM197.48 of fuel per barrel of crude oil. This is only 46% of the barrel, mind you. Using RM 3.30 = USD 1, we get that a barrel of crude oil produces USD 59.84 worth of petrol fuel (46% of 1barrel).
USD 59.84 of USD 130/barrel turns out to be 46% of a barrel as well.

Another 54% = bitumen, kerosene, and natural gases and so many more.
And this makes a balance of USD 70.16 that has not been accounted for.

So this is where I got curious. Where is the subsidy if we are paying 100% of the price of a barrel of crude oil when the production of petrol/barrel of crude oil is still only 46%?

In actual fact, we still pay for this as they are charged in the forms of fuel surcharge by airlines and road taxes for the building of road (because they use the tar/bitumen) and many more excuse charging us but let us just leave all that out of our calculations.

As far as I know, only the politicians who live in Putrajaya and come for their Parliament meetings in Kuala Lumpur (approximately 60+ km) are the ones to gain as they claim their fuel and toll charges from the money of the RAKYAT’s TAX.

It is so disappointing to see this happen time and time again to the Malaysian public, where they are deceived by the propaganda held by the politicians and the controls they have over the press.

Which stupid idiot economist equates rebates for rich or poor with the cc of the vehicles?! An average office clerk may own a second hand 1300cc proton Iswara costing $7,000 (rebate = $625) while the Datuk’s children can own a fleet of 10 new cars of BMW, Audi and Volvo all less than 2000cc costing $2 millions and get a total rebate of $625 x 10 = $6,250! Wow what kind of economists we are keeping in Malaysia…wonder which phD certificate that they bought from…

Misleading concept of Subsidy:

The word “subsidy” has been brandished by the BN government as if it has so generously helped the rakyat and in doing so incurred losses. This simple example will help to explain the fallacy:

Example:
Ahmad is a fisherman. He sells a fish to you at $10 which is below the market value of $15. Let’s assume that he caught the fish from the abundance of the sea at little or no cost. Ahmad claims that since the market value of the fish is $15 and he sold you the fish for $10, he had subsidised you $5 and therefore made a loss of $5.

Question : Did Ahmad actually make a profit of $10 or loss of $5 which he claimed is the subsidy?

Answer:
Ahmad makes a profit of $10 which is the difference of the selling price ($10) minus the cost price ($0 since the fish was caught from the abundance of the sea). There is no subsidy as claimed by Ahmad.

The BN government claims that it is a subsidy because the oil is kept and treated as somebody else’s property (ehem). By right, the oil belongs to all citizens of the country and the government is a trustee for the citizens. So as in the above simple example, the BN government cannot claim that it has subsidised the citizen!

ps: I am not responsible if you suffer brain damage from trying to understand the facts and calculations above

Slick Dutch stuns world champions!!

What a great headline!! The Oranje ended a 30-year wait for a victory over Italy in emphatic fashion as they began their Group C, dubbed Group of Death campaign with a rousing 3-0 win against the world champions in Berne.

The fan could barely believe what he was seeing..

Goals scored by: Wesley Sneijder, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Giovanni van Bronckhorst

The goal poacher

Sneijder farting at Buffon

(Image source: http://www.euro2008.uefa.com)

Must praise Van de Sar too for saving that Fabio Grosso at close range shot by Fabio Grosso and diving effortlessly to deny Pirlo free-kick, thus keeping a clean sheet!

Azzurri back line was missing injured captain Fabio Cannavaro and Oranje’s strongman Sneijder proved himself to be a dangerous, potent force upfront teaming Van Bronckhorst and Van der Vaart.

A good start definitely. Is it a sign of something BIGGER?? The last time they won was in 1988. Well, it is still too early to tell 😀 Remember Argentina in World Cup 2006? After some impressive performances in the group stage, Argentina was booted out by Germany in the quarter final.

We had already beaten Italy, now time to square off France! Go go Oranje!

Honestly I am not supportive of subsidy scheme, because I think it reduces competitiveness, creating false impression and sense of security to the receivers. In extreme term, subsidy can be equated as opium. It is addictive, and it is hard to shed especially if you are having it for more than 20 years. (Oil subsidy was introduced in 1982 if I remember correctly.)

Just look at the reactions by Malaysians after the ‘removal of oil subsidy’ (That’s the correct term. oil price hike is not ). There is a group with the name ‘1 Million Malaysian who are sick of the RM2.70/liter Petrol Price‘ in Facebook and guess what, as of today – less than 1 week – a staggering number of 35,582 people already joined the group. That is roughly 5k new members a day, 200 members an hour, 3 member a minute!! I read somewhere that, less than 24 hours it was created, the group had some 1,767 members! It reminds me of the withdrawal symptoms associated with drugs, alcohol and nicotine. This is a case of when one is hardest hit, one will arise to make noise, if the problem affects others, that individual may just care… less

Oh, I heard many times “Politics is not important”, “It has nothing to do with me”, “I have no interest in politics”, “I couldn’t care less about politics, as long as I can cari makan enough”, well you get the idea. Yes, it is not important, I guess many still can ‘cari makan’ heh? The ruling government was elected through political process, and the very government that you voted in or could not care less to vote that made the very policy of reducing the oil subsidy last week. Job well done, ignorant retards!! This message is especially for those that:

1. Never aware of what shits are going on around them. Blur sotongs!! Fry them!!

2. Aware but too ‘busy’ to do anything.

Job well done, ignorant-irresponsible-lazy retards!!

I have nothing against those who voted for the current ruling government for they made their choice and they shall live by it. After all they already exercised their responsibility as a citizen and chose their side.

Well, we come to the issue – oil subsidy. Do you think the government is telling the truth? That they can no longer subsidise the petrol? Is there anything we do not aware of? What is the government hiding, if there is anything to hide??

From Chedet, ‘Adviser’ of Petronas:

I believe the people expect the increase of petrol price. But what they are angry about is the quantum and the suddenness. The Prime Minister was hinting at August but suddenly it came two months earlier, just after the ban on sale of petrol to foreigners.

If the increase had been more gradual, the people would not feel it so much. But of course this means that the Government would have to subsidise, though to a decreasing extent.

Can the Government subsidise? I am the “adviser” to Petronas but I know very little about it beyond what is published in its accounts. What I do know may not be very accurate but should be sufficient for me to draw certain conclusions.

Roughly Malaysia produces 650,000 barrels of crude per day. We consume 400,000 barrels leaving 250,000 barrels to be exported.

Three years ago the selling price of crude was about USD30 per barrel. Today it is USD130 – an increase of USD100. There is hardly any increase in the production cost so that the extra USD100 can be considered as pure profit.

Our 250,000 barrels of export should earn us 250,000 x 100 x 365 x 3 = RM27,375,000,000 (twenty seven billion Ringgit).

But Petronas made a profit of well over RM70 billion, all of which belong to the Government.

By all accounts the Government is flushed with money.

But besides petrol the prices of palm oil, rubber and tin have also increased by about 400 per cent. Plantation companies and banks now earn as much as RM3 billion in profits each. Taxes paid by them must have also increased greatly.

I feel sure that maintaining the subsidy and gradually decreasing it would not hurt the Government finances.

Here are some conspiracy theories. Could the following events partially related bsides the current hiking of world oil price? Caution: Read for fun!

1. Petronas in RM8b deal – Under an agreement, Australia’s Santos and Petronas will form a joint venture to develop and operate a 450-km gas pipeline and an LNG plant at Gladstone, Queensland. The need of cash flow to pump into the buying of Santos so need to reduce the subsidy? Or the government is unable to negotiate new contract with Petronas on subsidy?

2.) FUEL PRICE HIKE: Oil exploration costs Petronas a bomb, says CEO – Petronas needs extra money for their exploration of deep water in Kikeh??

3.) Petronas starts methanol plant commissioning work – Petronas needs money to pay the contractors to erect this Labuan 2nd phase Labuan Methanol plant??

4.) Somebody dapat ilham (received divine intervention?) to ‘reduce oil subsidy’. Hahaha!

By all mean, wipe out the subsidy because it is good for the long term. Just it is too sudden for us the rakyat to absorb the after effects. Yes, reduce the subsidy but, be TRANSPARENT why you do it. That is what we as Malaysians want to know. So far, we were given half-baked answers, some downright stupid explanations! You justify the reduction of subsidy, if it makes sense why not? Quoting Chedet again:

Obviously our increase in petrol price is far less than in the United Kingdom or the United States. But our per capita income is about one-third of theirs. In purchasing power terms our increase is more than in the UK or the US.

The increase hurts but the pain is greater not just because of the increase percentage-wise is higher than in developed countries but because of the manner the increase is made.

In the first place the Government should not have floated the Ringgit. A floating rate creates uncertainties and we cannot gain anything from the strengthened Ringgit. Certainly the people have not experienced any increase in their purchasing power because of the appreciation in the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Ringgit.

Actually the Ringgit has increased by about 80 sen (from RM3.80 to RM3.08 to 1 US Dollar) per US Dollar, i.e. by more than 20 per cent. Had the Government retained the fixed rate system and increased the value of the Ringgit, say 10 per cent at a time, the cost of imports, in Ringgit terms can be monitored and reduced by 10 per cent. At 20 per cent appreciation the cost of imports should decrease by 20 per cent. But we know the prices of imported goods or services have not decreased at all. This means we are paying 20 per cent higher for our imports including the raw material and components for our industries.

Since oil prices are fixed in US Dollar, the increase in US Dollar prices of oil should also be mitigated by 20 per cent in Malaysian Ringgit.

Conclusion: I am not against the reduction of oil subsidy, but the manner it is made. I want good explanations. Make me understand. Do not shove funny numbers into my small brain. I have my numbers, like this:

Country GDP – per capita ($)
Hong Kong – 36,500
Malaysia – 12,700
Iran – 8,900
Venezuela – 6,900

Premium Unleaded petrol price in
Hong Kong is : 10.22 HKD per litre = RM 4.27 per litre
MALAYSIA is : RM 2.70 per litre

GDP ratio between Malaysia and Hong Kong is 12, 700 : 36,500 = 1 : 2.87
Re-adjust the petrol price based on income: RM4.27/2.87 = RM 1.47

==> Obviously, our RM 2.70 per litre is far more expensive than Hong Kong’s RM 1.47 after comparing both countries’ GDP. Wait.. Hong Kong is a net oil importer. Hmm.. their cars are cheaper too. Oh, in Hongkong having a car is a luxury, not a necessity like here in Malaysia

Word of the day:

*Lanciao

lan ciao is Hokkien dialect (one of many clans of chinese)
1. lan ciao = dick, penis
2. lan ciao = also can mean “blue bird” lan = blue, bird is ciao
3. lan ciao = expression of disagreement with an opinion
Popular use of the word and combination use for name calling
lan ciao bin = dick face
lan ciao tao = dick head

Now, go use it one that someone you hate..

Today RTM 1 news, 1pm:

“Bukan harga minyak yang dinaikkan tetapi subsidi minyak yang telah dikurangkan, inilah yang GAGAL difahami oleh rakyat” (It is not the oil price that increases but the oil subsidy that has been reduced, and this is what the people FAIL to understand.) <– Memang ayat power giler!!!

While the government are telling us that passing on the oil price increase to consumers is an unavoidable step, I really doubt that they understand what the price increase means to the man on the street to these group of elitists.

The people who are truly affected by this price increase are those who pay for their petrol from their own pockets, like yours truly. Those whose fuel is paid for by their employers – be it corporate fat cats or senior government servants and ministers – the price increase is merely a concept. It means nothing to them. For they have petrol allowance, entertainment allowance, fucking parking allowance, travel allowance, all sort of allowance and yes.. you and me, the average joes on the street are paying for them.

They do not need to get stuck in the jam because they have ‘hell riders’ opening road for them. Damn I hate those ‘hell riders’, blasting their horns and waving you aside to give way to their bosses, comfortably sitting behind tinted glasses of their cars. They tell us to use the public transport, but are they really aware of the pathetic state of our public transportation? IF the contents of this email I received can be treated as facts, no wonder they are making no big fuss:

Slip Pendapatan Bulanan bagi Menteri Penuh Malaysia termasuk Ketua-Ketua Menteri:

1. Gaji Pokok RM18,000

2. Elaun Keraian RM10,500.00

3. Elaun Perumahan RM10,800.00

4. Elaun Wakil Rakyat RM10,650.00

5. Elaun parking RM 5,700.00

Jumlah pendapatan bulanan RM55,650.00 yang wajib diterima sama ada sakit atau tidak bekerja:-

Lain-lain kemudahan

1. Bercuti keluar negara sekali setahun terutama selepas persidangan Dewan Negara- semua perbelanjaan ditanggung oleh kerajaan termasuk tiket penerbangan, hotel, duit poket sebanyak RM50,000.00. Kalau tidak bercuti keluar negara seorang menteri boleh menuntut sebanyak RM50,000.00 tanpa resit.

2. Bil letrik percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

3. Bil Air percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

4. Bil telefon percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

5. Peruntukan perkakasan dapor/perhiasan rumah dll boleh dituntut setahun sekali sebanyak RM40,000.00

6. Sebuah kereta Mercedes S320, di lengkapi dgn telefon bimbit,satu pemandu,minyak percuma.Kalau guna khidmat pemandu kementerian, dapatlah duit percuma.

7. Semua pemberian derma seperti kepada perkahwinan, kematian,atau pemberian kepada badan kebajikan kebajikan boleh dituntut.

8. Boleh mengadakan rumah terbuka setiap hari raya, segala perbelanjaan ditanggung oleh kerajaan. Kebiasaan Menteri menuntut sebanyak RM400,000.00

9. Setiap menteri biasanya tuntutan mereka sebanyak RM45,000.00 semua elaun perbelanjaan tidak termasuk elaun-elaun dalam slip pendapatan bulanan.

Slip Pendapatan Bulanan Bagi Timbalan Menteri ialah:-

1. Gaji Pokok RM15,000

2. Elaun Keraian RM9,500.00

3. Elaun Perumahan RM9,800.00

4. Elaun Wakil Rakyat RM10,650.00

5. Elaun parking RM 5,700.00

Jumlah pendapatan bulanan RM50,650.00 yang wajib terima samada sakit atau tidak hadir bertugas.

Dan Menteri:-

1. Pengerusi syarikat/lembaga jabatan kerajaan

2. Pengerusi syarikat swasta yg dilantik

3. Pedapatan dari syarikat persendirian seperti kontrak dan lain-lain

4. Pendapatan dari kroni-kroni peribadi

5. Saham yang diberi khas oleh kerajaan sebanyak 300,000 unit setiap masa.

6. Tidak termasuk dari pendapatan luar negara

7. Lain-lain sumber

Kata pemberi maklumat (penghantar emel tersebut) diatas adalah berdasarkan tangga gaji seorang menteri pada tahun 1999 dan pada pendapatnya terdapat sedikit sebanyak perubahan sehingga sekarang.

If Pak Lah and his cabinet is so sympathetic and concern about the rakyat, please – instead of giving empty words of sympathy, that you understand how difficult it must be, but we have to tighten our belts and change our already pathetic lifestyle, WHY DON’T the cabinet ministers all take a pay cut. It will definitely save the government some money, and sure at least it will show the rakyaat that you too are feeling the pain.. WALK THE TALK!

Pak Lah, TALK IS CHEAP…do the right thing – take the pay cut! DON’T TALK COCK!

MARI KITA UBAH CARA HIDUP BERSAMA-SAMA! That means, no playing with C4s, no orgy on the private yachts, no flying around on personal jets, no grand celebrations or lavish receptions for ministers, no fancy car plates for ministers, and tell your ministers to settle their car summonses (Ali Rustam once had 22 unpaid car summonses for his official cars and in 2002, it was reported high ranking officials from most of Malaysia’s 14 states have failed to settle more than 1,000 traffic summonses worth more than RM100,000)

ps: Mom called me and complained that price of rice has increased almost 200% since last 3 months. 😯

I went to watch Kungfu Panda with Drumsticks yesterday.  We had a good time.    We had dinner together and she insisted to pay for it, saying it is a farewell dinner.  Thanks dear, you don’t have to pay for dinner actually. I will be back for more dinner and movie sessions with you   I will be missing you.. a lot  

Kungfu Panda is fun to watch. I laughed my ass off watching the movie. Jack Black is one fine actor, I loved watching him on screen since I saw his acting in School of Rock and The Holiday. If you are looking for a good laugh, go and watch Kungfu Panda.

I am supposed to fly to Kuching tomorrow, but my company asked me to postpone my flight to next Saturday, 14 Jun. So much for rushing me to get ready and booked a ticket for me.  Good thing is, I still have one week to pack my stuffs and I guess I will spend the time meeting most of my friends before saying goodbye  It is time to meet up with those I yet to meet in person. Angeles? NoktahHitam? Zewt? Let’s go for a quickie? (Not that quickie lah! Teh tarik.. coffee? )

Euro 2008 is around the corner.  I think the mascots are quite fugly.  I love football. I always consider myself a fan of Argentina and Arsenal. Yes, I do not support local football because they suck donkey’s cock. I watched them play many times, and tell you, it is not good for health. If you have heart problem, better do not watch. Go watch wrestling instead. 

I love Argentina and Arsenal for the style of football they play. Both teams play with such style and creativity, changing position all the time, moving the ball among themselves so quickly and well known for their tough and swift attacking/defensive football. They play free-flowing, attack-minded, adventurous football that is very entertaining to watch. I do not support clear favourite in any sport, I prefer supporting the underdogs or the one that I think will pose the best chance against the favourite team. Weird?  So far I yet to get it right, that is why you yet to see Argentina or Arsenal winning something worthy, or at least keeping what they won before.  Muahahahahahaha! Probably that is why I do not support ManYoo, Brasil or Ferrari 😀 I love Carlos Tevez anyway. The guy is awesome!! He is the only ManYoo player in my Fantasy Football team  

This Euro 2008, I am going to support Holland to be the winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How about you??? :)Football freaks, let’s get ready for actions starting this Sunday morning! Euro 2008 will take place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 June to 29 June 2008.

Song for today. It is a Friday’s post… as usual theme song for today is…

Chris Daughtry – “Over You”

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should’ve started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I’d doubt you,
I’m better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I’m slowly getting closure.
I guess it’s really over.
I’m finally getting better.
And now I’m picking up the pieces.
I’m spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
‘Cause the day I thought I’d never get through,
I got over you.

You took a hammer to these walls,
Dragged the memories down the hall,
Packed your bags and walked away.
There was nothing I could say.
And when you slammed the front door shut,
A lot of others opened up,
So did my eyes so I could see
That you never were the best for me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should’ve started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I’d doubt you,
I’m better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I’m slowly getting closure.
I guess it’s really over.
I’m finally getting better.
And now I’m picking up the pieces.
I’m spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
‘Cause the day I thought I’d never get through,
I got over you.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should’ve started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I’d doubt you,
I’m better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should’ve started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I’d doubt you,
I’m better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I’m slowly getting closure.
I guess it’s really over.
I’m finally getting better.
And now I’m picking up the pieces.
I’m spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
Well I’m putting my heart back together,
‘Cause I got over you.
Well I got over you.
I got over you.
‘Cause the day I thought I’d never get through,
I got over you.

I have nothing much to say regarding the removal/revision of oil subsidy by the Malaysia government starting today, but I totally agree with this guy. For years, Malaysians are paying for farking expensive cars and now with the fuel price increase, Average Joe like me probably need to eat grass and walk on foot anytime soon.

Don’t subsidise fuel, don’t tax cars

I AGREE with Dzof Azmi’s argument in Fuelling trouble with petrol subsidies, (Contradictheory, StarMag, March 30) that the Government cannot afford to subsidise petrol and keep prices artificially low forever.

However, I want to point out that when you talk about the price of petrol, you have to also talk about the price of cars in Malaysia. These two items go hand in hand, something that Dzof failed to mention.

If one expects the rakyat to pay the real price of petrol (say, RM3 per litre) in the future when the petrol subsidy is zero, then the price of cars must also be real, ie, be tax free.

If one expects the people to pay the full, real-world price of petrol – and I must say it is a perfectly reasonable expectation – then the rakyat expects, also reasonably, to buy cars at real-world prices, without the exorbitant taxes currently imposed.

For example, a Toyota Corolla at the real price of US$19,000 (RM60,500) instead of artificially high at RM117,000.

Now, when the average consumer buys a car, he has already paid (in the form of import duties, excise duties, and sales tax) to the Government, in advance, a sum greater than the petrol subsidy he can expect to enjoy over the time he owns the car.

Let me give you an example.

If a consumer buys a Toyota Corolla at RM117,000, the tax he pays, up front, to the Government is more than RM50,000.

Then, he enjoys the fuel subsidy each time he fills up with petrol. To benefit from the RM50,000 that he has paid, in advance, it will take approximately 16 years (assuming he uses 60 litres of petrol a week and the subsidy is RM1 per litre)!

So, it is not fair to say that the subsidy of petrol has to be reduced or removed when the commodity price goes up, without reducing or abolishing the hefty taxes on cars.

You can’t use the “cheapest petrol in South-East Asia” and “price of crude oil has skyrocketed” excuses to justify the reduction in petrol subsidy as long as the ridiculously high tax is imposed on cars.

The rakyat won’t buy your story because we know that we, as motorists, have already paid for the petrol “subsidy”. In advance.

Jimmy Wah, Bayan Lepas, Penang

(source: The Star)

Where are the justifications? Our cars are among or probably the most expensively priced in the world, palm oil price is at all high now., and we are among the top producers in the world. Malaysia should be comfortable earning from all these commodities – oil, palm oil. Yes, the government is paying more for oil subsidy, but they are earning more from the oil as well!

WE, THE RAKYAT ARE NOT IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! F!%%#@U%!@#C$K!!!

Warning! A lot of pictures!

Today, I want to kill your lousy graphic card. Nyahahahahahahahaha!

Ready?

Just landed at the Sultan Mahmud Airport, Kuala Terengganu. This pretty babe was our ride for the week.

Approaching the resort – Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa, taken from car window.

Walking around the main lobby when check-in time, saw this..

Road to chalets. Cannot drive your car up to the chalets, need to park it at parking area next to the guard house and they have vehicles to drive you around the resort.

Chalet.. no, wrong photo. I did not stay here.

Chalet where I stayed

Into the room!

Yes, I mms-ed this STP. He thought I was hinting that I want to sleep with him.

Can’t live without that media box.

Bathroom on the right, toilet on the left.

Mirror oh mirror…

Looking out from the verandah

Kenyir Lake early in the morning

The logging track we use to go the project site

A bit like those Colin McRae Rally dirt tracks.. 😀

A wooden bridge. Wah! Sakainya, this also want to take…

This looks like a river.. yes it is.

Ikan kelah. RM300-RM400 per kg. Go start your own Kelah Farm.

Guess what is this? Free movie ticket for the first one with the correct answer 😛

Emm… this is a road to somewhere..

The air is cooler and fresher up here

Why I did that pose.. Must be the air..

Top of the watershed. Bukit Tembat. Yes, LC look again.

After work, went for boating around Kenyir Lake

Along Rejang River… eh?? Kenyir Lake.. hehe.. I miss Sarawak!

Went to this one small island, got this Taman Herba

Ali’s Walking Stick tree

Eurycoma longifolia Simaouba&~(@(@UI~)_&*!%%$!

The guide ask me to chew, ‘makan bagi lagi hensom’ he said.

Saok waterfall. Beautiful…

Bald man and the waterfall, a perfect synergy..

Sup kote! Had this during dinner time. Other dishes not worth mentioning.

Saw this at Batu Burok. A unicorn!!! Could it be the one???! The Invisible Pink Unicorn!!!

ps: No food photos. Only can tell what I ate in Kuala Terengganu – Ikan Tilapia Masak Masam Manis, Ikan Patin Masak Asam Tempoyak, Keropok Lekor bla bla bla… nevermind, because I gobbled all the food so no more left to snap at

pss: I didn’t take much photos, especially on the sceneries or beautiful things around Kenyir and Hulu Terengganu.. The place really very beautiful. Too bad I was there for work, so I took whatever photos I could. Some of the photos was taken while surveying the project site haha!! The boating around Kenyir Lake, we were too late in the evening, only managed to cover few places.. basically just hit and run. What you think, I was there for holidaying?