Petrol price hike and vanishing public transport June 5, 2008
Posted by elizabethwong in Malaysia, Politics.Tags: corruption, Inflation
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Between the last petrol price hike and this latest one, we should have ‘saved’ RM 9.9 billion, said to be allocated for improving public transport. No one would object such noble intentions, but ….
Where? WHERE???!!!!
For RM 9.9 billion, where is the state-of-the-art public transport? Subway stations? LRT extensions? Increased feeder bus service? Bicycle lanes? Anything?
Now we’re told we would ‘save’ RM 13.7 billion a year after the new prices take effect today.
The government is expected to save RM13.7 billion under this new subsidy restructure and other levies.
The figures are derived from the savings made by state-owned oil company Petronas in gas and oil (RM8 billion), petrol (RM4 billion) and the independent power producer and palm oil (RM1.7 billion).
The surplus of RM13.7 billion will be used for food security policy (RM4 billion), subsidies in cooking oil (RM1.5 billion), rice import (RM400 million), flour and bread (RM300 million), petrol, diesel and gas (RM7.5 billion), Abdullah explained. (Malaysiakini, 04 June 2008)
Public transport vanishes.
But at least we have a new RM 3.45 billion double-tracking rail project Seremban-Gemas awarded to Ircon (India), to reciprocate the Indian govt giving a RM 1 billion road project to Scomi group.
Pah.
elizabeth wong 
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Pakatan should seriously consider to mobilise mass gathering at KLCC.
How can the announced ‘public transport’ vanish
Before it’s task is completed or finished
How then can we expect the traffic woes to be vanquished
Leaving behind the public image of those involved to be tarnished?
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 050608
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Thur. 5th June 2008.
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Mana ada subsidi? Sekarang Elizabeth pun kena cuci otak pasal subsidi minyak. Tak pernah ada subsidi minyak. Yang ada cuma harga minyak yang rakyat bayar kepada Petronas (mainly), Shell, ESSO, BP. Sekarang untung Petronas lebih lagi sebab harga minyak naik. Pakatan Rakyat susah nak cabar Barisan sekarang kerana Barisan ada sumber tunai baru.
I’ve been riding my road bike to work and taking ’em on Bay Area rapid transit(BART) xross the Bay Bridge for the last few yrs since I’ve been living in Berkeley the Yanks aren’t used to paying close up to US$4 for gas that means less trips to Disneyland, camping, road trips, don’t forget drive by shooting courtesy of yar local thugs,pizza delivery things people look forward on a hot Aug night not to mention we NGO had to fight tooth n nails with City Hall to get streets more bike friendly get those ugly cars off the roads no more noxious air, no more accidental human lives, the Yanks r infamous for loving their automobile that mind set of cars as status symbol has to changed I feel for the common people its tough all round we’ve been propping up the oligarchy time to check our misplaced priorities I’m not sure if I’m helping but living in Sf Bay Area I’ve seen the ebb n flow to be honest I rather be in M’sia
i wonder where oil palm goes????
rm1.5 billion for cooking oil…
Dear Sir
It is the right time that this grossly corrupt and incompetent tyrant government that remove the fuel subsidies & increase the electricity tariffs should also be removed by whatever means necessary to accomplish this as well. Datuk Anwar Ibrahim & PKR, it is your call now and as all the people of Malaysia are firmly behind you. Cannot imagine that a nett producer & nett exporter of Crude Oil has to do this, look at Brunei & Saudi Arabia, there are no increases of prices of Petrol & Diesel at their pumps as both are nett producers and nett exporters of Crude Oil and they are now enjoying a boost to their economies with a whopping windfall in oil prices of the current US$137/- per barrel that earned them huge foreign exchange reserves from their Crude Oil exports. But in Malaysia the reverse is true as there is no boost to the economy, but only sadness prevailed because the foreign exchange reserves from Crude Oil nett exports earned are poorly managed or mis-managed and no one knows where all the profits over the years had gone and we are saying all the 600 or more Billion earned had disappeared and there is no accountability by the tyrant power that be.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mirage
It’s time… in my opinion to fit in. To change. Change what? Ourselves first. Don’t expect others (ie the govt) to change for the better, but we have to learn to adapt as well.
What about changing to a higher paying job? Or opting to not live in KL instead? So many possibilities. But whatever it is, the govt should be doing its very best for the people too. Like you mentioned, the public transportation bit just makes you want to go GRR… But we’ll see what next eh?
It would be best now to come up with the tried and true ways of helping the rakyat reduce their burden.
Here are a few which you could try to actively promote:
1) Encourage all public and private sector employers to go to a 4-day week. Rotate the staffing schedule so that the government and private businesses can still operate on a 5-day week. This would save 20% on the commuting costs of every employed person.
2) Push for staggered working hours, especially in the urban areas of the Klang Valley, Penang, and JB. Too much time and fuel is spent on the roads which become parking lots during rush hour.
3) Encourage employees to work from home. Provide incentives to companies that have specific and viable plans to implement this on a large scale.
4) Cut the schooling days. Our children waste too much time in school. It’s the quality, and not the quantity, of schooling that matters. We have too little of the former, and too much of the latter. Imagine the amount of fuel saved because of this, not too mention the amount of energy saved because the schools are not being used.
5) Hold the BN government accountable for the lack of a world-class public transportation system. Hit and hit and hit them on this until the whole world knows how incompetent they are and how they have stolen our hard-earned tax dollars.
6) Since the financial position of most people would have degraded considerably because of the decades of incompetent economic management by the BN government, come up with new and innovative strategies to improve the income of the rakyat. This would be the most difficult and time-consuming to implement, but is necessary for the future of our children.
Cheers,
Leslie
It’s a sad day for Malaysia…
KakiaYam
[…] Petrol price hike and vanishing public transport […]
http://goesdownbitter.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/piggy-bank/
At least you have some public transport.
Public transport in west M (specifically Klang Valley, more specifically KL and it’s satellites) is HEAVENLY lor, if compared to our Sarawak’s situation… Sob sob… you guys in West M should be thankful to BN (tee hee…)
The rakyat now want to see the Govt using our money prudently. Why ask rakyat to tighten belt and live simple lives when they are living lavishly on our money. We want to know what steps the BN is taking to reduce costs where their expenditure is concerned.
Yup,
Forgot about the so called savings for a ‘better public transportation system’ bullsh*t. Malaysians have such short memories.
It is a double ‘whammy’. Fuel and electricity charges? Duh!
Just watch the crime rate! The poor gonna suffer!
Just imagine this! Stuck in a traffic jam in Klang and burning up all da expensive fuel and not moving! Must pay toll somore!
All da Best Malaysians! You need it!
Cheers and Regards
Birds Talking
So sad you know Eli. So, so sad. And to think, with a few thousands, I can get a civic hybrid instead of kenari, my anger would not be as bad. As for public tranport, took about 15 mins walk from home to the bus. Then, another time waiting for the bus. But all buses go to KL, none of them going to SA, where I work. *sigh*
the last time, we were told the savings of 4 billion would be used to improve transportation system. but, all were gone to bail-out the scandalous Port Klang Free Trade Zone.
Asked BN who were the principlas behind the project? too shy to tell? Chairman of PKA and beneficiary, Wijaya Group Mr Chor of MCA who is now promoted to be the Deputy Minister
Tiong, BN MP from Sarawak who is now promoted to Deputy Chairman, BBC
UMNO Treasurer-sorry no promotion
Ling and Chan Kong Choy-Minister of Transport that gave the approval for the bonds issue without approval from the Cabinet
After pocketing all the money, now they are telling us to change our lifestyle. Like Capt Yusof, the Ancient Mariner said with seething anger-“Go Eat Shit and Die”
Our public transport (if you can call it that) is a disgrace.
Just look at the LRT. I travel quite regularly on the Putra LRT and I can assure you that the trains are jam-packed, especially in the morning, even well past nine o’clock in the morning.
The greatest mystery is that only two coaches are used.
I have brought this up to their customer service for over a year and each time, I was told that more coaches will be added.
Until today, it was not done!
Why is it so difficult to do so when such an act can benefit the people and bring revenue to the company!
This, then, is the utterly disgraceful situation of at least one aspect of Malaysian transport.
In a nutshell, it is a reflection of the malaise that is affecting this country!