Months ago, (or years ago?) when the government announced another price increase in petrol and other petroleum products, I composed a little Poem.
When I saw today's NST page 1 headline, Petrol + 10 sen Diesel + 20 sen,
my heart wobbled a litle, and it's Deja Vu all over again. And it's a matter of time for another heartburn, and before long, the hearts of many Malaysians become immune ... I wonder, will mine?
The government said from today, the price of diesel and petrol will go up by 20 and 10 sen per litre, respectively, as part of a strategy to gradually reduce the gap between subsidised and unsubsidised diesel and cut down the rampant smuggling the led to a crippling shortage recently.
The PM's Office said in a statement yesterday that in 2004, the government had subsidised RM4.8billion worth of petroleum products. If prices were not raised this year, the government would have to bear a subsidy of RM8.96billion while foregoing RM7.85billion through tax exemptions.
Making along story short,I record a salient point here that, according to the NST report, the PM's Office said that fir Jan-April 2005, the government had increased the price of petrol by seven sen per litre and diesel by 12 sen per litre, although the international price of petrol products had risen by 65.35sen per litre form petrol and 75.49sen per litre for diesel.
Desiderata's limited knowledge tells him that Malaysia is a net exporter of petrol, with our exports of even of higher grades than what we import, thus fetching higher prices. So every time there is a price increase worldwide, logically Malaysia gets MORE, not lesss, income, mostly channelled via PETRONAS, the national oil corporation holding and developing our country's richest resource on the Rakyat's behalf.
So by right, benefits should accrue to the Rakyat whenever there is a price increase, i.e. pump prices of petrol and diesel should COME DOWN! It does NOT make sense in the government's case.
Or am I, and other citizens whom I've discussed the subject many times, missing something that the government knows, that we didn't?
I sadly reprise here my poem:
Bleeding Malayisans
Oil fields offshore Malaysia are a-plenty
Yet when world prices rise
Malaysians pay more for their petrol
Shouldn't it be the other way around?
We produce an oil surplus
Which commands premium prices
No, the politicians smartly tell us
The oil subsidies keep rising
Hence, we raise the pump prices
We chase away Malaysians in their youth
To study in faraway land
A decade or two later
We beg them to come back
To "serve" the motherland
Who bleeds more, my dear?
Malaysia or Malaysians?
3 comments:
Ever wonder why when the MPs salaries go up, every thing else follows except the salaries of the man of the street??
One thing for sure, we have 'suckers' electing in greedy politicians to power.
Malaysia deserved the treatment they are facing from the ruling government which was elected into power, whatever means they achieve it.
Vote for alternative governance in the next one. Give opposition a chance!
Hi DeBookWorm:
Remember some MPs made a grandstanding show questioning PaklLah why the govt considered giving them the 10% payrise as if they were PROTESTING? Hey, show your sincerity by voting against the Bill for the payrise then. Otherwise it's all hypocrisy!
I agree with the deBW -- who haers the voice of the PoorMan?
Which leads me to Mamat's obsrvations:
Yes, sometimes the people get "suckered", or is it most of the time? Hear, hear to thy msg to the electorate come the next GE ... we finally get the type of government we desrve!
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