Did The Price of Petrol Really Go Up?
7:51 AMI went to my local AEON Mall today to get some medications from the pharmacy. I was quite surprised by the way things are. It's abnormally....NORMAL for a Friday evening. On Tuesday, the price for RON 95 and diesel was raised by 20 cents. Facebook was inundated with comments and posts full of anger and frustration. Fortunately, I managed to fill up my tank at 6 p.m. Way before the mad rush for petrol at fuel pumps. The dark force was really strong that day. Supporters of BN supported the move while supporters of the Opposition had a whole lot of "bullets" to use against the government.
Before you read any further, please leave all your political ideologies behind. Every one has their opinions and in this age of Facebook, everyone can be a specialist. Please, I will not be drawn into any political discussions.
What was ABnormally NORMAL for me was how this so called shock to our pockets has not affected Malaysians much. It seems like all these troubles are just online. What I see in Facebook does not correlate with the real world. Smokers smoke, shoppers shop, cars are still being driven at break neck speed.
I was walking along the rows of restaurants in AEON and I can see plenty of people at Nando's, Starbucks and Dragon-i (some posh Chinese restaurants). TGV was filled with youngsters lining up to watch movies....Tanda Putra I presume. Maybe it's just in my town. I have yet to see how things are in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysians can complain all they want. Itu naik, ini naik, doctor's consultation nak naik but in the end nothing is done to curb the spending. As long as people spend, prices are going to go up and there'll be a big hole in the pocket.
"Pastu? Takkan tak makan kot?" I hear some people yell.
Yes, you can eat..but you can forfeit your expensive coffee! Kopi O Beng cukup la, no need Cafe Latte. Be reasonable people. If you don't have the money don't spend on luxuries. I still don't get why people still go for Starbucks. I tried it a few times but I'm glad I didn't get hooked. For me, IKEA's refillable RM 2 coffee is still the best! (but I think they've raised the price for that too)
This is the time to try and cook at home. I made some ikan siakap sweet sour and vegetables for two people last week and it costs less than RM 10. Go to the nearest wet market and get fresh goods. Just ride a bike. If that 65 years old auntie can ride a bike to the market, so can you....and you DO NOT need to get a Giant, GT or Raleigh bike for that.
If you smoke, this is the perfect time to stop. Smoking will only burn a hole in your wallet and burn a hole in your lungs...and it is also HARAM for Muslims. I can't imagine myself burning off RM 7 to RM 10 per day (if not more). Even worse, you will be paying doctor consultation fees for you and your family because of recurrent cough.
Be resourceful for once. It is time to think of the future. The world economy doesn't look so good for now and it is only going to get worse. Complaining is of no use. You need to act and be smart. Start changing your lifestyle now. Don't follow the ways of the rich. Live within your means. Don't be "biar papa asal bergaya".
As I walk out from AEON Mall, I saw a pack of Musang King durian going at half price from RM 55. Very tempting indeed. The taste would be heavenly. But I just swallowed my saliva "GULP".I had to walk away as others scrambled to get their hands on the durians...I have to save an additional RM 8 each week to fill up my tank....sigh. Time to find more locum slots!
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