My say...
i was reading an article about how Nevada USA became a vibrant state, for the very fact that gaming and hotels are flourishing there. Masked eventually under the umbrella of development and tourism, Nevade struck gold with gaming being the thrust or driver of growth in this case. The very fact that Nevada was a former desert was made blatantly clear in the article and today, it stands to rake in around USD13 billion annually for the state. more good news for businesses in that state offers low state tax because they are flushed with cash. the state is doing very well in drawing in the big bucks from all over the world, hence it magnanimity in dishing out tax-breaks. Granted that there will always be social ills along with such gaming and high-roller community, but the state government take it with their stride, and Nevada is a success story by any count.
Singapore no doubt is following the model after much deliberation. that there were resistances from Lee Kuan Yew's Confucionist-influenced administration is well documented. Singapore, being an economic giant now in this region, is staking everything to allow gaming to appear in Sentosa. today Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew subscribed to the greater "good" that is gaming. gone were the days he denounced gaming as an evil vice. "This is THE future!" he remarked! the Cabinet led by his son today believes it is more beneficial to develop Sentosa Island as gaming community with a slant focus on tourism. in short, Singapore is stating that the pros far outstrips the cons.
What the two examples above shows that drivers for economic growth are needed in any country, be it developed or otherwise. Without economic drivers, sustained growth is not possible. Unemployment and hardship abounding then. misery will rise.
How does Malaysia fare? Malaysia has always maintained that the private sector is the engine behind growth. but this is not really prevalent. with a lot of red-tapes, we still have a long way to go. Pak Lah himself has admitted that and called for more business-friendly environment and proper delivery system in place.
the example of the economic corridors, are there really drivers behind that? many are already pooh-poohing the idea as they see its not sustainable. the very fact that Keynesian practice is still the order of the day with our government, how long can the government pour money into such big projects? Keynesian principles may work some of the time, not all the time. Remember the very first time Pak Lah held the helms of government, he scrapped many mega-projects of his predecessor citing impudency and lack of funds. back to my previous posts, big projects may not necessarily benefit the whole strata of society! what is needed is for everyone to participate.
new drivers are needed then. Gaming is a possibility. I understand the misgiving of an Islamic country, but then if the rakyat is struggling, what gives? remember that the deputy youth of UMNO did mention to be careful least the country will be colonized again. Well said! i can even take it further and say if people are hungry, civilization can also come crashing down; religion and all. Just ask the players in the French Revolution. If really we are looking at an Islamic state, the only gaming conglomerate must also be made to give up their license as well. open to all, or not at all! In gaming,many are employed and also the business spin-offs are indeed terrific. It is not unlike construction sector for that matter. two other drivers i may suggest are : to legalized small proprietor-size financial brokerage, be it small banking or even credit processing. thrift banks for example or even small brokerage firms, be in in form of co-op, trust/foundation funds,or something similar to that nature. right now it is currently monopolized by the banks only. the other is the prospect of small commodity exchange in the local market. a commodity exchange control by the Majlis Daerahs (district councils) can be put in place by the local authorities and this would indeed help small-timers to grow. Shanghai has this policy whereby everything locally produced is being bought by their local government in exchange for guaranteed profit and later sell it to the market. This is done not so much for the profit for the council (although the local government do make sizable returns here), but really to help the local businesses as well as sustaining growth. it helps those affected like the local vegetable farmers highlighted recently against wild price fluctuations. both side in this case will have a win win situation and also to keep the farmers going. and no, i am not for socialist dictates!
lets opened it up as Malaysia will need drivers of economic growth for this country. Not necessarily that it must only be gaming, but what i am suggesting is that drivers of growth must be in place to draw businesses in the first place. The government has came out with a lot of good ideas before, but the results are still questionable. Is MSC a success? far from it by all counts, according to private evaluations. Singapore may have strike it right in gaming. what has Malaysia? the economic corridors mooted by Pak Lah is promising, but so are the cries of "white elephants" by the rakyat after witnessing so many failed start-ups. Will the Iskandar corridor take off? why the uncertainty in answering in the affirmative? are there really drivers behind the corridors to push through sustained growth?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Timeshare Ruckus...
My say....
Timeshare has been in existence for a long while. it started as an brilliant marketing gimmick to help hotels to get rooms out during off-peak seasons as well as upfront money for liquidity to the industry. it basically boils down to getting two ends to converge. on one hand, there are hotel rooms vacancies and on the other hand, there are people looking for good bargains at basement price. so it was and ideal opportunity for the medium, in this case timeshare operators, to "marry" the two and earn good money along the way. Most timeshare operators are a branch or subsidiary of the hotels or property owners anyway.
with a lot of selling and persuasion, you get customers to part their money by basically buying into a dream. "you will basically get rooms for a number of years guaranteed" is their selling creed. the modus operandi always goes towards getting potential customers to "hedge" their money to a number of years for number of room nights which works out cheaper when you take inflation into consideration on year-on-year basis. but the catch is that you are not told you will still have to queue up along with other non-buyers to see if such rooms are available. and in most cases, rooms during the peak season goes to the highest bidder as per supply and demand. Hence, the dream of having rooms at the time you need it most, usually holiday seasons, may not happened. worse still, after paying a lump sum amount to secure your membership, there are still administration costs and what not to cover, usually not mentioned upfront to the potential members the fine line of the contract.
along the way, timeshare operators soon became alive on its own accord and reared its ugly head. with so much money to be made, it became an industry within an industry all by itself. raking billions of dollars on selling promises, little wonder why it rose as fast as it is. misrepresentations of membership products became blatant. when the promises are not upheld, complaints came. later with so much complaints, many regulations are revised in the west to such a point it does not rake in as much cash as it does. so many operators shut down their operations thus leaving many members stranded. google "crimeshare" and you can see many shady deals and complaints outlined.
timeshare appeared in Malaysia around the late 70s. fertile ground and new frontier, the fire catches on again. this time, the same operators mainly from Europe and America that failed miserably in their own turf, they re-emerged here. they operated in such a cowboy manner that again, there are now public outcry against it in this region. in every 100 application coerced, 95% of it would wished they had not joined. to those who join, these same people are fighting to get their money back from tribunal courts everywhere. Malaysia is not spared of this.
the article today in the Star newspaper "cops crippled cheating syndicate", it specified holiday club members. its just another facade of certain dodgy timeshare operators basically. now these same operators are evolving again to stay ahead of the public. reselling membership at a discount is what the article is all about. basically exploiting the same trust of the same members when they first signed-up. even leads, which are details of affluent members who signed-up, are being sold to insurance, banking and property sectors. actually scratch-and-win contests are also part of their repertoire. one company even turned itself into an internet property portal, with the unwitting blessings of the ministry of tourism's logo endorsement. there are no ethics in this game, in my opinion.
there are some legitimate operators by some responsible hotels in Malaysia i must admit. they try to do the job, but then i think timeshare is not really for Malaysians or for this region for that matter. these same owner/hoteliers are actually doing themselves a disservice, although the money is good. they will kill their own brand if members find that the timeshare operations is related to them. if the ministry can just published the number or applicants' complaints, would really be an eye-opener for the rest, including these hoteliers/property owners. i think the Ministry of domestic trade and consumer affairs owes the public that much.
to the many still awaiting for the tribunal outcome, i wish all the best. to those who are thinking of applying,never forget the creed of caveat emptor......
Timeshare has been in existence for a long while. it started as an brilliant marketing gimmick to help hotels to get rooms out during off-peak seasons as well as upfront money for liquidity to the industry. it basically boils down to getting two ends to converge. on one hand, there are hotel rooms vacancies and on the other hand, there are people looking for good bargains at basement price. so it was and ideal opportunity for the medium, in this case timeshare operators, to "marry" the two and earn good money along the way. Most timeshare operators are a branch or subsidiary of the hotels or property owners anyway.
with a lot of selling and persuasion, you get customers to part their money by basically buying into a dream. "you will basically get rooms for a number of years guaranteed" is their selling creed. the modus operandi always goes towards getting potential customers to "hedge" their money to a number of years for number of room nights which works out cheaper when you take inflation into consideration on year-on-year basis. but the catch is that you are not told you will still have to queue up along with other non-buyers to see if such rooms are available. and in most cases, rooms during the peak season goes to the highest bidder as per supply and demand. Hence, the dream of having rooms at the time you need it most, usually holiday seasons, may not happened. worse still, after paying a lump sum amount to secure your membership, there are still administration costs and what not to cover, usually not mentioned upfront to the potential members the fine line of the contract.
along the way, timeshare operators soon became alive on its own accord and reared its ugly head. with so much money to be made, it became an industry within an industry all by itself. raking billions of dollars on selling promises, little wonder why it rose as fast as it is. misrepresentations of membership products became blatant. when the promises are not upheld, complaints came. later with so much complaints, many regulations are revised in the west to such a point it does not rake in as much cash as it does. so many operators shut down their operations thus leaving many members stranded. google "crimeshare" and you can see many shady deals and complaints outlined.
timeshare appeared in Malaysia around the late 70s. fertile ground and new frontier, the fire catches on again. this time, the same operators mainly from Europe and America that failed miserably in their own turf, they re-emerged here. they operated in such a cowboy manner that again, there are now public outcry against it in this region. in every 100 application coerced, 95% of it would wished they had not joined. to those who join, these same people are fighting to get their money back from tribunal courts everywhere. Malaysia is not spared of this.
the article today in the Star newspaper "cops crippled cheating syndicate", it specified holiday club members. its just another facade of certain dodgy timeshare operators basically. now these same operators are evolving again to stay ahead of the public. reselling membership at a discount is what the article is all about. basically exploiting the same trust of the same members when they first signed-up. even leads, which are details of affluent members who signed-up, are being sold to insurance, banking and property sectors. actually scratch-and-win contests are also part of their repertoire. one company even turned itself into an internet property portal, with the unwitting blessings of the ministry of tourism's logo endorsement. there are no ethics in this game, in my opinion.
there are some legitimate operators by some responsible hotels in Malaysia i must admit. they try to do the job, but then i think timeshare is not really for Malaysians or for this region for that matter. these same owner/hoteliers are actually doing themselves a disservice, although the money is good. they will kill their own brand if members find that the timeshare operations is related to them. if the ministry can just published the number or applicants' complaints, would really be an eye-opener for the rest, including these hoteliers/property owners. i think the Ministry of domestic trade and consumer affairs owes the public that much.
to the many still awaiting for the tribunal outcome, i wish all the best. to those who are thinking of applying,never forget the creed of caveat emptor......
Friday, January 11, 2008
Malaysian Banking System..
My say....
the effort to merge the banks to big entities deserves commendation. its a move to protect the interest of the entire banking system in Malaysia. the logic behind the move is acceptable. without a strong financial system in place, it will definitely be swallowed up and overrun by the bigger banks in terms of capturing businesses this year of AFTA.
however, we need to evaluate the system again. How could the banks be world class when transactions cannot be properly done overseas. what i mean is, most foreign banks are seamlessly integrating financial transactions but yet the Malaysian banks are sorely lagging behind. we could only place small branches in emerging regional markets yet not the world. with the exception of MAS, we have nothing else to boast in terms of global reach. little wonder why the foreign banks are giants whereas our banks are still scraping for whatever left of the nation's economic pie.
We may assume and argue that big American banks has it all in their arsenal to do it: capital, technical expertise even human ingenuity or talent. granted that it is but then just have a look at our close neighbour Singapore. In DBS, they boast to have the largest lender and asset stakeholder in South East Asia. where do our largest bank, Maybank, stand in comparison to DBS? Also in Singapore, any new banking methodologies are certainly embraced and regularly updated. in Malaysia, we are still arguing for 128-bit system to protect our ATMs from being hacked. We need a step forward, not always harping at things of the past. outside expertise to help seriously need to be considered if we cannot do it. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has no qualms to engage Dr Albert Winsemius in their formative years and today Singapore is considered among the top five international banking hubs. Singapore has done it, why can't we?
take for example online payments. Paypal is a prime example of how transactions could be made using technology capability, yet Paypal is not even opened here to received payment by our banks. we have to open an account with banks in Singapore to obtain our payment. another is the example of merchant accounts. do you know how difficult it is to even apply for one, let alone getting it to operate in our businesses? We cannot even operate a standard instruction for credit card payment from orders overseas without having customers swiping the cards physically. and we are only talking about receivables. Swiss banks has led the way with transactions done in few clicks of the button and the monies is next in another account say Latin America within that few minutes. No physical movements or whatever except just on the laptop. why can't Malaysians be trusted to transact with the global community then basically? yes there will be people exploiting the loopholes, but then again, which country doesn't face this issue? we are moving at a East Asian Economic Caucus but Malaysians generally cannot get the maximum benefit out of it.
also i would like to relate a story. once my friend took a mortgage to finance his business. he charged his house to a local bank, yet the local bank manager was arguing with him about the worth of his house for few days. he was, in his own words, "made like a ping-pong ball"; he went back to the bank no less than 8 times. Fed-up, he then turned to Citibank. everything was done in an instant with 24-hour approval and he has his money in 5 working days. When he asked if they are not really questioning him about his house value, the officer said, "Sir, we know the house is worth $xxx estimate amount of money so we finance roughly the amount. it is our business to know the amount. We don't argue about such things with customers as we let our valuers argue about that til the cows come home. basically what are you gonna do in the event of default? run away with the house? We just want your patronage and your business!" My friend was won over immediately!
We seriously need to consider revamping the banking laws again. with rapid Internet exposure and penetration, online banking and fast services are fast becoming the norm for business. Parasites that they are, we still need them! question is, is our 2nd finance minister up to the task of developing world-class standards after all the merging? Malaysian banking system.... is it a boon or a bane for Malaysians?
the effort to merge the banks to big entities deserves commendation. its a move to protect the interest of the entire banking system in Malaysia. the logic behind the move is acceptable. without a strong financial system in place, it will definitely be swallowed up and overrun by the bigger banks in terms of capturing businesses this year of AFTA.
however, we need to evaluate the system again. How could the banks be world class when transactions cannot be properly done overseas. what i mean is, most foreign banks are seamlessly integrating financial transactions but yet the Malaysian banks are sorely lagging behind. we could only place small branches in emerging regional markets yet not the world. with the exception of MAS, we have nothing else to boast in terms of global reach. little wonder why the foreign banks are giants whereas our banks are still scraping for whatever left of the nation's economic pie.
We may assume and argue that big American banks has it all in their arsenal to do it: capital, technical expertise even human ingenuity or talent. granted that it is but then just have a look at our close neighbour Singapore. In DBS, they boast to have the largest lender and asset stakeholder in South East Asia. where do our largest bank, Maybank, stand in comparison to DBS? Also in Singapore, any new banking methodologies are certainly embraced and regularly updated. in Malaysia, we are still arguing for 128-bit system to protect our ATMs from being hacked. We need a step forward, not always harping at things of the past. outside expertise to help seriously need to be considered if we cannot do it. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has no qualms to engage Dr Albert Winsemius in their formative years and today Singapore is considered among the top five international banking hubs. Singapore has done it, why can't we?
take for example online payments. Paypal is a prime example of how transactions could be made using technology capability, yet Paypal is not even opened here to received payment by our banks. we have to open an account with banks in Singapore to obtain our payment. another is the example of merchant accounts. do you know how difficult it is to even apply for one, let alone getting it to operate in our businesses? We cannot even operate a standard instruction for credit card payment from orders overseas without having customers swiping the cards physically. and we are only talking about receivables. Swiss banks has led the way with transactions done in few clicks of the button and the monies is next in another account say Latin America within that few minutes. No physical movements or whatever except just on the laptop. why can't Malaysians be trusted to transact with the global community then basically? yes there will be people exploiting the loopholes, but then again, which country doesn't face this issue? we are moving at a East Asian Economic Caucus but Malaysians generally cannot get the maximum benefit out of it.
also i would like to relate a story. once my friend took a mortgage to finance his business. he charged his house to a local bank, yet the local bank manager was arguing with him about the worth of his house for few days. he was, in his own words, "made like a ping-pong ball"; he went back to the bank no less than 8 times. Fed-up, he then turned to Citibank. everything was done in an instant with 24-hour approval and he has his money in 5 working days. When he asked if they are not really questioning him about his house value, the officer said, "Sir, we know the house is worth $xxx estimate amount of money so we finance roughly the amount. it is our business to know the amount. We don't argue about such things with customers as we let our valuers argue about that til the cows come home. basically what are you gonna do in the event of default? run away with the house? We just want your patronage and your business!" My friend was won over immediately!
We seriously need to consider revamping the banking laws again. with rapid Internet exposure and penetration, online banking and fast services are fast becoming the norm for business. Parasites that they are, we still need them! question is, is our 2nd finance minister up to the task of developing world-class standards after all the merging? Malaysian banking system.... is it a boon or a bane for Malaysians?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Malaysian Taxi Drivers....
My say....
Malaysian generally have bad perception of taxi drivers. That reputation, is earned! Even many tourists have noted that taxi drivers in Malaysia are the epitome of hell riders. They are impatient, obnoxious and basically idiots on the road. it stems from their complain that they are not making enough to make ends meet! Serious allegation......
With this allegation, many taxi drivers refuse to comply with existing rules. Some will go without meter, other charge an exorbitant fee and many basically just rushed from one destination to another without a care of the safety of the passengers. worse still, many deliberate or chooses the locations as to whether to bring the customers or not because there maybe no passengers in their return trips. I think they need to realise that they are only portraying the greedy side of "me first". they dont realise that when they rush and how they behave thereafter really effects their business as a whole. they don't realise that in speeding and rushing to get more customers, they leave the previous batch in bad disregard and therefore no more continued business. When business dwindles further, the more squeeze it is for the industry as a whole. basically its tit-for-tat.
before wielding the axe, lets consider helping them first.
maybe taxi associations need to be given sectors to managed. at least with the correct number of taxis per location, the drivers will have not have anymore complaints. even as driving into another associations' sector, then the associations must come together to to work out remuneration back to each other. these remuneration then are meant to be given back to the respective drivers within their association as a form of "bonus" maybe? even if it helps to reduce the car rental, it would really help remove some of the burdens of the drivers. Also, the more new districts or locations are created, more associations are to be established. Each is to give an accountability directly to the ministry.
LPG gas usage should also be increased. We are oil and gas exporters afterall. if this translates to savings for the drivers, then all the better. Yes the catalyic converters are expensive, therefore a subsidy may be considered. Or, make it payments in installments basis for the catalyic converters for LPG gas. or even withdrawal from the association's coorperatives or EPF. it will definitely spur a case for internal economic consumption.
let the axing then begin after such incentives. there should be no complaints thereafter if government is extending helps to the industry.
after the "carrots",i think then the "stick" must be introduced. On the Ministry of Enterprenuer and Co-operative Development part, the only thing i could think of are complaints by consumers about taxi drivers must be taken seriously. We have sms or complain hotlines but the question is how many complaints and sms reports to the ministry went unheeded? again, if taxi passengers know that their complaints are taken into account, confidence will definitely improve.The ministry is to take action through their particular associations. too many sms on a particular drivers would really mean that the driver to do a rehabilitation course or else he would completely lose his driving license. Association is either are to be responsible for their own drivers or face the consequences of being revoked license to run in that particular sector. penalties must be introduced and meted.
Let's hope this will restore again the image that all Malaysians, including our infamous taxi drivers, are really warm and truly courteous!
Malaysian generally have bad perception of taxi drivers. That reputation, is earned! Even many tourists have noted that taxi drivers in Malaysia are the epitome of hell riders. They are impatient, obnoxious and basically idiots on the road. it stems from their complain that they are not making enough to make ends meet! Serious allegation......
With this allegation, many taxi drivers refuse to comply with existing rules. Some will go without meter, other charge an exorbitant fee and many basically just rushed from one destination to another without a care of the safety of the passengers. worse still, many deliberate or chooses the locations as to whether to bring the customers or not because there maybe no passengers in their return trips. I think they need to realise that they are only portraying the greedy side of "me first". they dont realise that when they rush and how they behave thereafter really effects their business as a whole. they don't realise that in speeding and rushing to get more customers, they leave the previous batch in bad disregard and therefore no more continued business. When business dwindles further, the more squeeze it is for the industry as a whole. basically its tit-for-tat.
before wielding the axe, lets consider helping them first.
maybe taxi associations need to be given sectors to managed. at least with the correct number of taxis per location, the drivers will have not have anymore complaints. even as driving into another associations' sector, then the associations must come together to to work out remuneration back to each other. these remuneration then are meant to be given back to the respective drivers within their association as a form of "bonus" maybe? even if it helps to reduce the car rental, it would really help remove some of the burdens of the drivers. Also, the more new districts or locations are created, more associations are to be established. Each is to give an accountability directly to the ministry.
LPG gas usage should also be increased. We are oil and gas exporters afterall. if this translates to savings for the drivers, then all the better. Yes the catalyic converters are expensive, therefore a subsidy may be considered. Or, make it payments in installments basis for the catalyic converters for LPG gas. or even withdrawal from the association's coorperatives or EPF. it will definitely spur a case for internal economic consumption.
let the axing then begin after such incentives. there should be no complaints thereafter if government is extending helps to the industry.
after the "carrots",i think then the "stick" must be introduced. On the Ministry of Enterprenuer and Co-operative Development part, the only thing i could think of are complaints by consumers about taxi drivers must be taken seriously. We have sms or complain hotlines but the question is how many complaints and sms reports to the ministry went unheeded? again, if taxi passengers know that their complaints are taken into account, confidence will definitely improve.The ministry is to take action through their particular associations. too many sms on a particular drivers would really mean that the driver to do a rehabilitation course or else he would completely lose his driving license. Association is either are to be responsible for their own drivers or face the consequences of being revoked license to run in that particular sector. penalties must be introduced and meted.
Let's hope this will restore again the image that all Malaysians, including our infamous taxi drivers, are really warm and truly courteous!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Business : Supply Line Breakdown?
My say...
I read with dismay from MSN Malaysia yesterday that roti canai operators are considering to stop producing the tasty breakfast treats effective next week since the price hike of flour and wheats. the spokesman of the business said they are losing money due to the fact that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affair has refused to acceed to their request of raising price in tandem of the price hike of the required ingredients for roti canai, namely flour. How could one go into business when the supplies are costlier than the items they sell? makes no sense thats what they say!
two points comes to mind:
1) are there hoarding still of the commodities? i believe so seeing that requirements are always met in non-festive times but then again it only rears its ugly head nearer festive seasons. quick profit is still the name of the game for some manufacturers aka hoarders. also, its not that there are no stock, but then the complaint was the ingredients are too expensive coming off the shelf of retailers and wholesalers. When will government enforcement, the manufacturers / marketeers (wholesellers and retailers) and business operators sit down and settle that once and for all? it seems there is a supply line breakdown whenever there are shortages or price increase. it shows they are not communicating with each other and to feel the pulse of the buyers and consumers. buck up please!
2) one highlight of the spokesperson, which i note to be true is that, whenever there is an increase in price by the ministry, the same ministry here in particular will issue warnings that the business operators are not to raise price of their goods. for example, they increased the gasoline price, then in some illogical reason, they deny bus or lorry operators to increase price of transportation. Seems to be biased in favor of the manufacturers or marketeers. the ministry must understand that for it to work, the triumvirate (my definition for govt, producers and business operators) must come and work together. The consumers, although uproars noted, still retains the right to trade or boycott, if and only if its something they can really make do without. if its really something so integrated with the rakyats' palate (we know Malaysians love their food) such as roti canai or any bread for that matter, then i suggest this particular ministry really do some soulsearching being the authorities here in the very first place. there are even speculations from some of the blogs i read that the government is always seen to be "defending" the consumer initially, but will eventually increase the price when public anger is abated. to be fair to the consumers, is the price hike justified in the first place? was it avoidable? or sheer incompetence or "tidak apa" ("don't bother") on the part of the government? Remember that perception is just as powerful as action. we shall know the verdict with the coming election. Many i know are currently and visibly upset.
In short, to remain competitive and business friendly, the triumvirate must always act in the interest of the rakyat (people). i wish to say "so far so good", but in actual fact is "so far, NO good!"
I read with dismay from MSN Malaysia yesterday that roti canai operators are considering to stop producing the tasty breakfast treats effective next week since the price hike of flour and wheats. the spokesman of the business said they are losing money due to the fact that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affair has refused to acceed to their request of raising price in tandem of the price hike of the required ingredients for roti canai, namely flour. How could one go into business when the supplies are costlier than the items they sell? makes no sense thats what they say!
two points comes to mind:
1) are there hoarding still of the commodities? i believe so seeing that requirements are always met in non-festive times but then again it only rears its ugly head nearer festive seasons. quick profit is still the name of the game for some manufacturers aka hoarders. also, its not that there are no stock, but then the complaint was the ingredients are too expensive coming off the shelf of retailers and wholesalers. When will government enforcement, the manufacturers / marketeers (wholesellers and retailers) and business operators sit down and settle that once and for all? it seems there is a supply line breakdown whenever there are shortages or price increase. it shows they are not communicating with each other and to feel the pulse of the buyers and consumers. buck up please!
2) one highlight of the spokesperson, which i note to be true is that, whenever there is an increase in price by the ministry, the same ministry here in particular will issue warnings that the business operators are not to raise price of their goods. for example, they increased the gasoline price, then in some illogical reason, they deny bus or lorry operators to increase price of transportation. Seems to be biased in favor of the manufacturers or marketeers. the ministry must understand that for it to work, the triumvirate (my definition for govt, producers and business operators) must come and work together. The consumers, although uproars noted, still retains the right to trade or boycott, if and only if its something they can really make do without. if its really something so integrated with the rakyats' palate (we know Malaysians love their food) such as roti canai or any bread for that matter, then i suggest this particular ministry really do some soulsearching being the authorities here in the very first place. there are even speculations from some of the blogs i read that the government is always seen to be "defending" the consumer initially, but will eventually increase the price when public anger is abated. to be fair to the consumers, is the price hike justified in the first place? was it avoidable? or sheer incompetence or "tidak apa" ("don't bother") on the part of the government? Remember that perception is just as powerful as action. we shall know the verdict with the coming election. Many i know are currently and visibly upset.
In short, to remain competitive and business friendly, the triumvirate must always act in the interest of the rakyat (people). i wish to say "so far so good", but in actual fact is "so far, NO good!"
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Old Fashion Enforcement....
My say...
Recently i was sitting down with an old Pak Haji and we were chatting about the coming General election. We started talking about racial issues and the turmoils the country is currently facing....
one topic lead to another, then he was talking about the good old days. by good old days he mentioned that in kampungs (villages) previously, everyone is watching for everybody's back irrespective or race or religion. he mentioned a few cases in his kampung whereby the youths and the adults of the same kampung were very co-operative. i like to take this opportunity to state here what he told me one particular incident and maybe can consider learning from it:
one day beside his small house, a chinese family was being robbed. the robbers were apparently two malay young lads and after robbing, they had the cheek to sit at a distance mamak warung (roadside coffee stalls) in the same kampung and thereafter and had a cuppa. the young chinese kid from the same house that was robbed later passed by and noticed them and cried for being afraid. being questioned by another malay group of young men, they found out about the thieves. they was apparently from another area and not the kampung. they then confronted the thieves and surrounded them. they started to assault the youths and when the youths later flee to a nearby football field, more youths joined the fray and cornered the two. later they whacked the living hell out of the youths until being refrained from some old uncles. the youths were really in serious condition and was taken later by the police to be treated in hospital. the youths was eventually charged and sent to correction home.
whilst i do not condone violence and question the way justice was meted out, it did taught me a few positive things though:
1) Malays are still passionate about justice albeit their own style. but seriously... what an effective way to deter other robbers and thieves from ever attempting trying to rob their kampung folks again. Malays to me are still best neighbours to have whatever one may want to say. other than the Barisan government always paving the kampungs' non-damaged roads to boost political points :), being neighbours with them really is a pleasure to have in terms of warm and tender co-operation and friendship. The Penghulu (village chief) concept should be maintained no matter what. a little more about this later.... little would i argue why the malays should still rule this country with their own way..
2) Irrespective or race, creed or religion, they helped the poor chinese kid and confronted the same perpetrators. they made sure the youths learned their lesson and not to mess with the kampung folks anymore. nothing was said about cover-up of one's race or religion. that the little chinese kid could just pour out to complete fellow-kampung strangers really warms my heart.
3) Rukun Tetangga is probably an offspring from this c0-operation concept but was really lost in focus along the path of time. i was thinking whether the non-effective way of Rukun Tetangga (neighborhood watch) could really learn a thing or two from this, and to be revived again from this positive reminder! that more enpowerment of handling criminal or petty cases from the respective authorities given to them is an absolute must in the rise of crimes rates committed now. Was in Philippines and the barangay (tagalog for "county") set-up was good eye-opener. The Barangay captain, with his own barangay "police" would be asked by local government to solved all petty issues like neighbourhood quarrels before being brought to higher authorities such as police or civil court. The Barangay captain was an elected post, much akin to our Penghulu concept. 90% success, i would say, in resolving issues.
4) many are no longer willing to help in joint effort basis especially in the area of crime prevention. many are also giving cold shoulders due to the fact that the criminals are usually more violent, more cohesive and has considerable weaponry at their disposal. This probably stems from the fact that RE-(e)inforcement or moral support not offered by the authorities nowadays. Maybe a policeman would consider joining in the neighborhood watch beat nightly. this resolves all the advantages the robbers have mentioned above. two things why i think this is positive. firstly it reduces police standalone workrate and requirement to increase the number of police personnel; and secondly, it causes less misunderstanding from whatever issues that may arise at any particular point in time for all parties concerned.
Old fashion enforcement anyone?
Recently i was sitting down with an old Pak Haji and we were chatting about the coming General election. We started talking about racial issues and the turmoils the country is currently facing....
one topic lead to another, then he was talking about the good old days. by good old days he mentioned that in kampungs (villages) previously, everyone is watching for everybody's back irrespective or race or religion. he mentioned a few cases in his kampung whereby the youths and the adults of the same kampung were very co-operative. i like to take this opportunity to state here what he told me one particular incident and maybe can consider learning from it:
one day beside his small house, a chinese family was being robbed. the robbers were apparently two malay young lads and after robbing, they had the cheek to sit at a distance mamak warung (roadside coffee stalls) in the same kampung and thereafter and had a cuppa. the young chinese kid from the same house that was robbed later passed by and noticed them and cried for being afraid. being questioned by another malay group of young men, they found out about the thieves. they was apparently from another area and not the kampung. they then confronted the thieves and surrounded them. they started to assault the youths and when the youths later flee to a nearby football field, more youths joined the fray and cornered the two. later they whacked the living hell out of the youths until being refrained from some old uncles. the youths were really in serious condition and was taken later by the police to be treated in hospital. the youths was eventually charged and sent to correction home.
whilst i do not condone violence and question the way justice was meted out, it did taught me a few positive things though:
1) Malays are still passionate about justice albeit their own style. but seriously... what an effective way to deter other robbers and thieves from ever attempting trying to rob their kampung folks again. Malays to me are still best neighbours to have whatever one may want to say. other than the Barisan government always paving the kampungs' non-damaged roads to boost political points :), being neighbours with them really is a pleasure to have in terms of warm and tender co-operation and friendship. The Penghulu (village chief) concept should be maintained no matter what. a little more about this later.... little would i argue why the malays should still rule this country with their own way..
2) Irrespective or race, creed or religion, they helped the poor chinese kid and confronted the same perpetrators. they made sure the youths learned their lesson and not to mess with the kampung folks anymore. nothing was said about cover-up of one's race or religion. that the little chinese kid could just pour out to complete fellow-kampung strangers really warms my heart.
3) Rukun Tetangga is probably an offspring from this c0-operation concept but was really lost in focus along the path of time. i was thinking whether the non-effective way of Rukun Tetangga (neighborhood watch) could really learn a thing or two from this, and to be revived again from this positive reminder! that more enpowerment of handling criminal or petty cases from the respective authorities given to them is an absolute must in the rise of crimes rates committed now. Was in Philippines and the barangay (tagalog for "county") set-up was good eye-opener. The Barangay captain, with his own barangay "police" would be asked by local government to solved all petty issues like neighbourhood quarrels before being brought to higher authorities such as police or civil court. The Barangay captain was an elected post, much akin to our Penghulu concept. 90% success, i would say, in resolving issues.
4) many are no longer willing to help in joint effort basis especially in the area of crime prevention. many are also giving cold shoulders due to the fact that the criminals are usually more violent, more cohesive and has considerable weaponry at their disposal. This probably stems from the fact that RE-(e)inforcement or moral support not offered by the authorities nowadays. Maybe a policeman would consider joining in the neighborhood watch beat nightly. this resolves all the advantages the robbers have mentioned above. two things why i think this is positive. firstly it reduces police standalone workrate and requirement to increase the number of police personnel; and secondly, it causes less misunderstanding from whatever issues that may arise at any particular point in time for all parties concerned.
Old fashion enforcement anyone?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Essential foodstuff shortages....
my say...
i am still abhorred that shortages are occurring in our so-called progressive society. The minister of domestic trade had blamed it on hoarding and smugglings in the recent cooking oil shortage. but what gives?
suppose that it is. Hoarding and smuggling should be the things of the past if they could pinpoint it time and again, isn't it? what i mean is, if it is always the case of hoarding and smuggling, then would it not be fair to say they noticed the problem? to think it a yearly affair that people have to be given rations, really sends shivers to my spine. then what is the best course to proceed and tackle this particular problem? the same minister mentioned that they have asked the manufacturers to increase productions. and that the average 48,000 tons of oil will be upped to 54,000 tons annually. Also he said that rationing will begin next week. however i see a major flaw here in the handling of this particular case. These actions translates to only tackling the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem.
May i give my suggestions:
firstly, its obvious that enforcement is very lax. if it was a one-off (non-repetitive) problem, then i would certainly say that enforcement is doing a good job. but to have it on a yearly basis on shortage, it really shows that enforcements that we currently have is indeed not up to the mark. Increase enforcements and make sure the perpetrators do really get the maximum penalty if ever found to commit the offence! How does the minister know its smuggling or hoarding unless he has proof of it, and how did he get proof? if he knew it was smugglings or hoardings, then shouldn't actions be taken just as swiftly?
secondly, increasing the output will only help in the short-term basis. maybe this is what the manufacturers want vis-a-vis a price increase? artificial shortage seems lately to gain momentum in almost all basic essential commodities starting with black oil, wheat and now cooking oil. i would say, increase the productions but keep the ceiling cap on it.
thirdly, there must be some form of projection or demand-analysis done. how could a small country like Singapore do it? shortages are practically unheard of there, yet its happening at such a rampant pace here. Singapore has a 5-year, 10-year and 20-year evaluation study, seen with my own eyes. little wonder why they are still on top of things for this tiny nation-state. can't the ministry get hold of all the respective parties like the chamber of commerce, etc. and do evaluations? i know its basically not the minister itself per se that should be blamed but the minister should try giving his director general the broomstick, much like what Mohd Khir is doing! Khir certainly has my vote!
Lastly, although education is the key, yet better to expand it in terms of communique. be it media, radio, television or even official blogs (akin to Marina Mahathir's). Most government websites scores very low marks on this particular matter. hence panic buying becomes hallmark of the day! i think its good that data and informations are always up-to-date with the ministry websites on the where, what, why, when and how after the studies and evaluations are done. let it be reciprocated by feedback from the public as well. With the public educated, then i would think hoarding will be a thing in the past.
In short, education and enforcement goes hand in hand. it must be mutual in terms of exchanging information and communication between the government ministries and public. redress in form of enforcement also mustn't be compromised as well.
Happy new year all!
i am still abhorred that shortages are occurring in our so-called progressive society. The minister of domestic trade had blamed it on hoarding and smugglings in the recent cooking oil shortage. but what gives?
suppose that it is. Hoarding and smuggling should be the things of the past if they could pinpoint it time and again, isn't it? what i mean is, if it is always the case of hoarding and smuggling, then would it not be fair to say they noticed the problem? to think it a yearly affair that people have to be given rations, really sends shivers to my spine. then what is the best course to proceed and tackle this particular problem? the same minister mentioned that they have asked the manufacturers to increase productions. and that the average 48,000 tons of oil will be upped to 54,000 tons annually. Also he said that rationing will begin next week. however i see a major flaw here in the handling of this particular case. These actions translates to only tackling the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem.
May i give my suggestions:
firstly, its obvious that enforcement is very lax. if it was a one-off (non-repetitive) problem, then i would certainly say that enforcement is doing a good job. but to have it on a yearly basis on shortage, it really shows that enforcements that we currently have is indeed not up to the mark. Increase enforcements and make sure the perpetrators do really get the maximum penalty if ever found to commit the offence! How does the minister know its smuggling or hoarding unless he has proof of it, and how did he get proof? if he knew it was smugglings or hoardings, then shouldn't actions be taken just as swiftly?
secondly, increasing the output will only help in the short-term basis. maybe this is what the manufacturers want vis-a-vis a price increase? artificial shortage seems lately to gain momentum in almost all basic essential commodities starting with black oil, wheat and now cooking oil. i would say, increase the productions but keep the ceiling cap on it.
thirdly, there must be some form of projection or demand-analysis done. how could a small country like Singapore do it? shortages are practically unheard of there, yet its happening at such a rampant pace here. Singapore has a 5-year, 10-year and 20-year evaluation study, seen with my own eyes. little wonder why they are still on top of things for this tiny nation-state. can't the ministry get hold of all the respective parties like the chamber of commerce, etc. and do evaluations? i know its basically not the minister itself per se that should be blamed but the minister should try giving his director general the broomstick, much like what Mohd Khir is doing! Khir certainly has my vote!
Lastly, although education is the key, yet better to expand it in terms of communique. be it media, radio, television or even official blogs (akin to Marina Mahathir's). Most government websites scores very low marks on this particular matter. hence panic buying becomes hallmark of the day! i think its good that data and informations are always up-to-date with the ministry websites on the where, what, why, when and how after the studies and evaluations are done. let it be reciprocated by feedback from the public as well. With the public educated, then i would think hoarding will be a thing in the past.
In short, education and enforcement goes hand in hand. it must be mutual in terms of exchanging information and communication between the government ministries and public. redress in form of enforcement also mustn't be compromised as well.
Happy new year all!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Asian moral values....
My say.....
my apologies, but this is slightly off the context of Malaysian-ism. but still a slant on Malaysian values somewhere.....
the recent news of our now Ex-health minister caught with his pants down and resigned from all his political and cabinet posts raised some eyebrows.....
what raised mine was people said whatever he did in his private life ought to remain private and do not sack him from his public post since he is such a dedicated and excellent minister...whilst i agree with the latter part of this statement that he is a good minister, i can't help but to disagree with the former. the statement smack against values, not the man!
he was caught in a compromising position and he was deemed unfaithful. he betrayed the trust of his family, his colleagues (who lobbied against foreign comfort women in Malaysia) and his supporters. now the part about raising my eyebrow: some segment of society, his supporters no doubt, said he should remain as his private matters should not be bought into the equation. this challenged the very notion of our Asian moral values...
These values to me, ought to be safeguarded. they actually acts as a bulwark and deterrent against society going into decadence. When does one draw the line against child prostitution? when does one draw the line against gay marriages? where does one draw the line against polygamy? hence, values are still there to make sure that, at the very least, a line is drawn. These values teaches us what is right and what is wrong. And thank God for that.......
to the ex-health minister, thank you for your previous contributions. you really did your job admirably. but the truth is still that, you know it was wrong and it was brave of you to admit and did the correct thing by resigning... You knew it was WRONG and i hope this message gets across to your supporters. Lest we forget our Asian values.......
my apologies, but this is slightly off the context of Malaysian-ism. but still a slant on Malaysian values somewhere.....
the recent news of our now Ex-health minister caught with his pants down and resigned from all his political and cabinet posts raised some eyebrows.....
what raised mine was people said whatever he did in his private life ought to remain private and do not sack him from his public post since he is such a dedicated and excellent minister...whilst i agree with the latter part of this statement that he is a good minister, i can't help but to disagree with the former. the statement smack against values, not the man!
he was caught in a compromising position and he was deemed unfaithful. he betrayed the trust of his family, his colleagues (who lobbied against foreign comfort women in Malaysia) and his supporters. now the part about raising my eyebrow: some segment of society, his supporters no doubt, said he should remain as his private matters should not be bought into the equation. this challenged the very notion of our Asian moral values...
These values to me, ought to be safeguarded. they actually acts as a bulwark and deterrent against society going into decadence. When does one draw the line against child prostitution? when does one draw the line against gay marriages? where does one draw the line against polygamy? hence, values are still there to make sure that, at the very least, a line is drawn. These values teaches us what is right and what is wrong. And thank God for that.......
to the ex-health minister, thank you for your previous contributions. you really did your job admirably. but the truth is still that, you know it was wrong and it was brave of you to admit and did the correct thing by resigning... You knew it was WRONG and i hope this message gets across to your supporters. Lest we forget our Asian values.......
Dogs not welcomed in Malaysia?
My say......
Dogs lead a very sad life here in Malaysia. there is not even a proper field throughout Malaysia whereby one can really called a dog park. the sad case of Joy with her broken jaw really sums up the mentality of many Malaysians. Too indifferent to care! evidently, many children nowadays are not exposed to what is called "Man's best friend". Thankfully still a group that did come forward to show some caring side that is sorely lacking and evidently so for these trusting creatures .......to think that they were together with our prehistoric ancestors since time immemorial.
we praised Lucky and Flo, the two sniffer dogs for the job well down in tracking pirated-DVD. we gave medal of honor and farewell parties (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/16/asia
/AS-GEN-Malaysia-DVD-Dogs.php) ... but the plight of the other dogs? how sad indeed we Malaysians can be, we can give the highest praise but we do not follow-up with deeds for the very same God-created living creatures, one prime example being Joy.
Please have ONE dog park for consideration for 10th Malaysia Plan. Can we fast-track Malaysia to a first world country anytime soon? Don't hold your breath!
Dogs lead a very sad life here in Malaysia. there is not even a proper field throughout Malaysia whereby one can really called a dog park. the sad case of Joy with her broken jaw really sums up the mentality of many Malaysians. Too indifferent to care! evidently, many children nowadays are not exposed to what is called "Man's best friend". Thankfully still a group that did come forward to show some caring side that is sorely lacking and evidently so for these trusting creatures .......to think that they were together with our prehistoric ancestors since time immemorial.
we praised Lucky and Flo, the two sniffer dogs for the job well down in tracking pirated-DVD. we gave medal of honor and farewell parties (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/16/asia
/AS-GEN-Malaysia-DVD-Dogs.php) ... but the plight of the other dogs? how sad indeed we Malaysians can be, we can give the highest praise but we do not follow-up with deeds for the very same God-created living creatures, one prime example being Joy.
Please have ONE dog park for consideration for 10th Malaysia Plan. Can we fast-track Malaysia to a first world country anytime soon? Don't hold your breath!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Delivery System - still full of flaws?
my say.....
after much victorious euphoria coming in from the last general election, its voting year again. the people must give their verdict to how well the Abdullah Administration performed and upkeep their promises. one of the highlight of his promise was a better delivery system from a better human knowledge resources capital on the part of his government.
I will site an example from a teh tarik conversation today. i was sitting down with a personal friend who was applying for a travel license. and yet all i had from the teh tarik chit-chat was how bad and impractical the government registration requests sometimes were. two i distinctively remembered as it had me thinking, what idiots these "gomen" people were in getting their requests processed. Mind you, he was applying for the license since mid- 2007 and rejected almost at every re-submissions til today.
the two were:
1) they asked for new office units as "business must be seen on its own". basically, you must have your own office for each license you apply under the tourism department. firstly he was applying for the Malaysian Second Home programme (MM2H), he had to rent an office unit. now he is applying for travel agency license, he is required to have another separate office unit. Two rentals, when it would be appropriate with just one currently due to its small start-up. I enquired whether it would be more beneficial in terms of economy of scale if the office were one, as he doesn't really need so many offices. "Common sense, thats what they are lacking!" he retorted! the reply from the govt agency was: "ini kementerian punya syarat-syarat, kerana takut keliru dengan bisnes lain" ("this is the ministry's requirements, they don't want to be confused with other business"). seriously, how stupid could it be, just making this poor guy have employ extra staff when the other staff is really underworked, and also to pay for two rental for units he doesn't really need one of them. Indeed both MM2H and travel agency could really be one right? how "keliru" (confusing) could that be?
2) to his letter of rejection for his travel agency application, i recalled, the ministry asked to state who my friend have engaged to deal with overseas; since he applied outbound license as well. although it may be trivial on the outset you may say, or the govt side may really want to be meticulous in their vetting, whatever the reasons, what he said finally really carried weight for the day to me. "how could i get to contact with other overseas agencies when i don't even have the proper licensing in the first place?"... in short, it was really chicken and egg situation for him. no license, no go! period! how does one expect this poor soul to start negotiation with his overseas counterpart without proper license in place? I have been to some overseas licensing departments, i saw some government agencies do give out license first and then only evaluated how the company performed after a certain period of what he did with the license. that would really be business-friendly, don't you think? if he did not perform, then by all means revoked his license. what i am saying is, in short, help him to overcome the very first hurdle at the very least. yes, i agree human beings being human beings they will exploit all opportunities, like selling the license for short-term gain and the likes, but let's not penalised everyone with a blanket ruling of "Nos" first. it really stifles business and enterpreneurship. too many "NOs" never really produces a "Yes" in the first place!
ok, i have said my peace... i hope this reaches out to someone up there. for my beloved Malaysia to survive cut-throat businesses in todays globalized world, lets keep common business sense prevailing again please. little wonder why smaller-scale business people now are really unhappy. I learnt this from a wise man who once told me, and i quote "to have a rich nation, its the community (specifically the middle-class business category he said) that must be well taken care of. Not mega projects, not high profile business corridors and definitely not super governmental agencies! It's still bread and butter issues that counts at the end of the day!" He noted that strife always appears in nations where the wealth gap widen between the "has" and the "has nots".
Pak Lah... delivery system and human knowledge capital are down in this particular ministry still. Please help!
after much victorious euphoria coming in from the last general election, its voting year again. the people must give their verdict to how well the Abdullah Administration performed and upkeep their promises. one of the highlight of his promise was a better delivery system from a better human knowledge resources capital on the part of his government.
I will site an example from a teh tarik conversation today. i was sitting down with a personal friend who was applying for a travel license. and yet all i had from the teh tarik chit-chat was how bad and impractical the government registration requests sometimes were. two i distinctively remembered as it had me thinking, what idiots these "gomen" people were in getting their requests processed. Mind you, he was applying for the license since mid- 2007 and rejected almost at every re-submissions til today.
the two were:
1) they asked for new office units as "business must be seen on its own". basically, you must have your own office for each license you apply under the tourism department. firstly he was applying for the Malaysian Second Home programme (MM2H), he had to rent an office unit. now he is applying for travel agency license, he is required to have another separate office unit. Two rentals, when it would be appropriate with just one currently due to its small start-up. I enquired whether it would be more beneficial in terms of economy of scale if the office were one, as he doesn't really need so many offices. "Common sense, thats what they are lacking!" he retorted! the reply from the govt agency was: "ini kementerian punya syarat-syarat, kerana takut keliru dengan bisnes lain" ("this is the ministry's requirements, they don't want to be confused with other business"). seriously, how stupid could it be, just making this poor guy have employ extra staff when the other staff is really underworked, and also to pay for two rental for units he doesn't really need one of them. Indeed both MM2H and travel agency could really be one right? how "keliru" (confusing) could that be?
2) to his letter of rejection for his travel agency application, i recalled, the ministry asked to state who my friend have engaged to deal with overseas; since he applied outbound license as well. although it may be trivial on the outset you may say, or the govt side may really want to be meticulous in their vetting, whatever the reasons, what he said finally really carried weight for the day to me. "how could i get to contact with other overseas agencies when i don't even have the proper licensing in the first place?"... in short, it was really chicken and egg situation for him. no license, no go! period! how does one expect this poor soul to start negotiation with his overseas counterpart without proper license in place? I have been to some overseas licensing departments, i saw some government agencies do give out license first and then only evaluated how the company performed after a certain period of what he did with the license. that would really be business-friendly, don't you think? if he did not perform, then by all means revoked his license. what i am saying is, in short, help him to overcome the very first hurdle at the very least. yes, i agree human beings being human beings they will exploit all opportunities, like selling the license for short-term gain and the likes, but let's not penalised everyone with a blanket ruling of "Nos" first. it really stifles business and enterpreneurship. too many "NOs" never really produces a "Yes" in the first place!
ok, i have said my peace... i hope this reaches out to someone up there. for my beloved Malaysia to survive cut-throat businesses in todays globalized world, lets keep common business sense prevailing again please. little wonder why smaller-scale business people now are really unhappy. I learnt this from a wise man who once told me, and i quote "to have a rich nation, its the community (specifically the middle-class business category he said) that must be well taken care of. Not mega projects, not high profile business corridors and definitely not super governmental agencies! It's still bread and butter issues that counts at the end of the day!" He noted that strife always appears in nations where the wealth gap widen between the "has" and the "has nots".
Pak Lah... delivery system and human knowledge capital are down in this particular ministry still. Please help!
Oil price increase, cat-and-mouse game?
my say.....
i think many are worried about the impending and inevitable oil price increase by the government. many are speculating that price of petrol will increase on the range of 20-40 sens. whilst we understand the government's outlook and handling of the price increase in tandem with the world oil price, but the cat-and-mouse game certainly is unsettling...
on one hand, the government doesn't want to announce the "bad" news so fast due to coming election...but really, just make the announcement for the betterment of all. At the very least, an announcement first, then listen and follow-up to potential grouses that may arise.
the worrying trend is people may thought the government has the ability to "hold" (translated : manipulate) and control the oil prices locally, being the nett exporter of oil currently. Simple kampung folks may not understand and guillable upon stupid persuasions and empty promises by the political opposition parties. one really gets the feeling the government wants to pound us with bad news after the election, hence the cat and mouse perception....
i think many are worried about the impending and inevitable oil price increase by the government. many are speculating that price of petrol will increase on the range of 20-40 sens. whilst we understand the government's outlook and handling of the price increase in tandem with the world oil price, but the cat-and-mouse game certainly is unsettling...
on one hand, the government doesn't want to announce the "bad" news so fast due to coming election...but really, just make the announcement for the betterment of all. At the very least, an announcement first, then listen and follow-up to potential grouses that may arise.
the worrying trend is people may thought the government has the ability to "hold" (translated : manipulate) and control the oil prices locally, being the nett exporter of oil currently. Simple kampung folks may not understand and guillable upon stupid persuasions and empty promises by the political opposition parties. one really gets the feeling the government wants to pound us with bad news after the election, hence the cat and mouse perception....
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