Parliamentarians must live up to expectation next monday when the sitting resumes. One of the most immediate concerns which must be discussed and deliberated is the cost of food. Unless, our MPs dive and wine at expensive places it will not be so difficult for them to realise that cost of food has gone up exponentially in the last 6 months.
Rising cost of living has created added pressure to many urban folks. Most working adults are forced to eat out while at work, at least a meal. Street food is no longer cheap. Income increase, on average, is approximately 1.5 percent last year. Executive compensation recorded better growth at 4 percent. According to Bank Negara, income growth at the manufacturing sector is only 1.3 percent. However, Malaysia is facing higher inflation in the next quarter. A rough estimate puts our inflation rate at 4.2 percent.
Over the next 6-8 weeks, the government will finalise a new oil subsidy structure. According to Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Shahrir Samad, a cut of subsidy is imminent. He opines that this is the first subsidy which must go.
I agree with Shahrir that oil subsidy is extremely expensive and not sustainable in the long run. Half of this subsidy goes to private cars which is wasteful. This is not something we just knew yesterday.
I have written a number of articles calling for a review of our public transport system and a long awaited need for a public transport blueprint to help us revamp our much neglected public transport. However, the government of the day is more interested in building more highways and expressways.
In particularly Penang, the state government must look into the need to provide better public bus services. With narrow and winding roads, it makes more sense for the state to consider better bus system - both frequency and reach and quality of service. The decision to disallow the leasing system is a good move. What is next?
Shahrir should also consider opening up the taxi industry to more individuals instead it being dominated by crony companies. Taxi drivers, with lower license fee and rental, will be able to provide better service to both locals and tourists. They are our frontliners in the tourism industry. What we need is a good monitoring and public service complaint department for users/commuters to lodge complaints on shoddy services.
Finally, politicians from both sides of the House must work closely to help change our society's mindset about sustainable transport, cleanliness, environmental protection and others.
Hence, politicians must stop their own squabbles in the Parliament. To help changing mindset, politicians must first start with themselves.
YBs, Buck Up!
Rising cost of living has created added pressure to many urban folks. Most working adults are forced to eat out while at work, at least a meal. Street food is no longer cheap. Income increase, on average, is approximately 1.5 percent last year. Executive compensation recorded better growth at 4 percent. According to Bank Negara, income growth at the manufacturing sector is only 1.3 percent. However, Malaysia is facing higher inflation in the next quarter. A rough estimate puts our inflation rate at 4.2 percent.
Over the next 6-8 weeks, the government will finalise a new oil subsidy structure. According to Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Shahrir Samad, a cut of subsidy is imminent. He opines that this is the first subsidy which must go.
I agree with Shahrir that oil subsidy is extremely expensive and not sustainable in the long run. Half of this subsidy goes to private cars which is wasteful. This is not something we just knew yesterday.
I have written a number of articles calling for a review of our public transport system and a long awaited need for a public transport blueprint to help us revamp our much neglected public transport. However, the government of the day is more interested in building more highways and expressways.
In particularly Penang, the state government must look into the need to provide better public bus services. With narrow and winding roads, it makes more sense for the state to consider better bus system - both frequency and reach and quality of service. The decision to disallow the leasing system is a good move. What is next?
Shahrir should also consider opening up the taxi industry to more individuals instead it being dominated by crony companies. Taxi drivers, with lower license fee and rental, will be able to provide better service to both locals and tourists. They are our frontliners in the tourism industry. What we need is a good monitoring and public service complaint department for users/commuters to lodge complaints on shoddy services.
Finally, politicians from both sides of the House must work closely to help change our society's mindset about sustainable transport, cleanliness, environmental protection and others.
Hence, politicians must stop their own squabbles in the Parliament. To help changing mindset, politicians must first start with themselves.
YBs, Buck Up!
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