Amusing food and sundry items prices despite drop of fuel prices

Today saw thestar.com.my and knew about the fuel price drop until RM 1.90 for RON97 and RM1.80 for RON92. Bravo, should have done this a long time ago. But there is another contradictive fact that keep annoying me and other citizens in Malaysia (which I believe most of us do) : the price of food and all sundry items. To PM : Do you know what type of damage have you done to whole Malaysian wallets? Maybe you don't feel it, but we all do feel it : 20-30% extra spending (which means 20-30% lesser in savings)

When the fuel price increase 78 cents in 1 shot, all sectors were trying their best to increase price and cost at all levels, which this time shows the best effort ever in history of Malaysia, from nasi lemak seller to nasi kandar seller to flour supplier to taxi and bus driver to hawkers, and TNB was among the one that fights the most (we can see all sort of funny reasons came out from those suppliers and GLCs). Funnily, Poslaju Malaysia didn't increase the postage rate while all other courier increased the courier charges almost immediately. Guess what? after fuel prices dropped down, Poslaju increased their surcharge to 25%!!! Very smart management to increase price while the cost was actually dropping. What is the consequences of these? Almost all prices increased due to increase of transportation which leads to sudden increase of inflation rate.

At the hawker center, a big bowl of Kari Mee which usually just cost RM 2.50-2.80 suddenly shoot up to minimum RM3, and the content magically reduce so much. When asked about it, they say flour and rice and mee and *fill in the blank* supplier increase cost 10-20%. Tragic increase of 25-40% of food price in general while suppliers just increase 10-20%, a typical kiasu Malaysia hawkers attitude.

Let's change to fast food restaurants. I don't really know in detail about how they rate their so-called service charges, but after fuel price increase, you really have to check your bills properly. Usually they just charge 5% for service charges, but now generally they impose 5% government tax and 5-10% of service charges. I did ask 1 of the fast food restaurant manager, he told me that it's inevitable due to government getting extra tax from them (not sure true or not). But if this is true, the government really have to re-think their policy. The maximum tax should be imposed on smokers, as those people are creating bad breathing air that can cause cancers. Why we civilians have to suffer the extra tax? We are already paying tax every year, and we are getting charged again in restaurants, and it's not little amount!!!

We Malaysian are typically not so greedy, we just want a low and stable price of food. Increase of prices during high fuel price hike, we do understand that. But now that all fuel prices has dropped, where is the decrease of food and transportation price? Increase RM 1 but drop 10 cent for each poslaju courier? Increase 50 cent for hawker food but never reduce hawker food price until now? TNB die die want to increase tariff as soon as the fuel price goes up, but now that the fuel price dropped, the CEO of TNB just keep quiet? If the government has a leader with conscious mind, the prices of food would have drop alot by now, electricity tariff would not be so burden to majority of us now, and you, the ruling party of Malaysia, you won't end up losing 5 state to the hands of newly-formed Pakatan Rakyat just like that.

Please, do something for the benefit of people. BN is already losing people vote and faith nowadays, it's time to wake up and do something right.

10 cent reduction on fuel a joke

What an economic joke. The fuel price has dropped ... 10 cents ... But the whole article doesn't mention about the world's crude oil price which is around USD 105 now ... + / - a few dollars.

When they wanted to raise petrol prices, all they could do is mention the crude oil price at USD 140 and the possibilities of it going higher ... when they wanted to lower the prices, all of a sudden, they seemed to have forgotten about the crude oil price and could only mention that the drop of the petrol and diesel prices in Malaysia.

Crude oil prices are now very shaky and the trend seems to be heading downwards except for the fact that some nigerian morons bent to destroying the country's pipeline.

10 cents isn't going to help much since that prices of consumer goods and services have gone up and will not come down. No wonder, there are so many people complaining about the goverment nowadays. Haiya .....

PM: Govt may review fuel prices next month

The government may again review petrol prices in October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.

He said if global crude oil prices stabilise at US$109 per barrel until the year end, the government may reduce pump fuel prices.

“Now, the global crude oil price is at US$109 per barrel. If it stays at that level, then of course I will be very happy to reduce it by 15 sen than the current RM2.55 (fuel pump) price,” he told reporters after chairing the Finance Council Meeting here today.

“Pray that it (crude oil price) does not go up, and that it will go down more. We are monitoring all the time,” said Abdullah, who is also Fiance Minister.

On Aug 23, fuel price was reduced by 15 sen to RM2.55 a litre from RM2.70.

HOPE it can soon be reduced to the said estimated amount of RM2.40(-0.15cent)

Fuel Price hike - malaysia solution

Don't Treat Us Like MORON

Fuel price hike 41% was announced 7 hours before its implementation. We had no time to adjust ourselves.

Entertainment allowance slashed up to 10% (out of mostly over RM10k) - announced 29 days before implementation. They still have plenty of time to enjoy the over RM10k worth of monthly entertainment!

"Entertainment" allowance of at least RM6k. Wow...

If you think 10% cut from your "entertainment" is harsh enough, think about how many people in Malaysia who live on less than 10% of your monthly "entertainment" allowance. Even if there are 1000 ministers in this country, 10% cut from all your 'enjoyment' allowance is not even enough to help 1% of the poor in the country.