Oops,lest I be hauled up by the UMNO morality squad, change the last word in the Post title to POPPYCOCK!
Here's why Desi's so hot up he resorts to flowery/fowl language, pick either, in the traditionally democratic spirit hear!
Saturday May 24, 2008
Change lifestyle to curb inflation
By MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR
TOKYO: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on Malaysians to change their lifestyle to reduce the impact of rising inflation.
The Prime Minister said he would encourage Malaysians to save more and reduce wastage to ease their burden.
“Some people may not think it is important but a change of lifestyle a little bit in times of difficulty is important,” he said in an interview with the Japanese media after attending the Nikkei International Conference here yesterday.
Abdullah was responding to a question on the possible need for a strong ringgit to offset inflationary pressures.
He admitted that Malaysia was facing a lot of difficulties but the Government was implementing aggressive measures.
“We are developing measures to respond to the inflation we are now experiencing. We have to increase productivity and be more competitive.
“We are also seeking cooperation with other countries in strategic areas like food and agriculture,” he added.
Abdullah, who is also Finance Minister, refuted a report by the US Treasury that the ringgit was undervalued.
“Our ringgit has established its true value. We do not intervene to make the ringgit go up or down, it has established a value which we believe to be realistic,” he said.
“There has been no serious fluctuations or volatility,” he added.
The Treasury report issued before last Friday’s market opened said “a persistently large current account surplus coupled with still-low domestic investment” was evidence that the ringgit was undervalued.
Abdullah also said that everyone, including economists, were free to express their opinions about currencies, including the ringgit.
Later, briefing Malaysian journalists accompanying him for his working visit to Japan, the Prime Minister said that during his meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda he spoke on food security and cooperation in agriculture in view of increasing food prices.
“We need to go high-tech where food production is concerned.
“I also said that it would be good if Japan can be involved in the halal food industry, apart from investment in plantation, aquaculture and manufacturing,” he said.
Fukuda, he said, responded positively by encouraging the private sector to participate.
DESIDERATA: Last year, when the Rakyat complained of spiralling prices of everyday necessities like noodle, rice and nasi lemak, char keow tiau dan mee goreng (by as much as 10-20 percent at regular intervals te preceding two to four years...while salaries remain quite static?), the deputy prime minister is his apparent wisdom advised the Rakay "to tighten your belt" and live within their means. The second family followed up with some PR (BIG mistake in retrospect because the Rakyat don't buy this PR, but voted for the Other PR in GE2008!) showing the wife Datin Ros...somethin'...buying some low-priced shoes. Wonder where she hid those branded ones she invested in during her shopping sprees downtown gay Paree and Orchard Road...OR was it Desi's or RPK's or Tian Chua's wilde imagination she holidayed dare?
Never mind.
Why bother to fight inflation if it was running just 2.0 to maximum 3.0 percent per annum?
It boggles my mind that the PM and DPM think Inflation is a problem faced by the Rakyat if what the Statistics Department has been churning out figures that said/say/will say CPI is only about 2% to 3%, year in year out for the past two decades! The World Bank would be happy to sing Malaysia's praises as a MODEL NATION in keeping Inflation limbo-rocky "how low can you go"!
So the next thing bothering Desi's mind: can I infer that the Government's department has been "cooking"up its figures?
Maybe 7th American Idol DAVID COOK can help Malaysians sing away the Rakyat's Blues...
Badder steal, runner-up DAVID ACHULETA, could be persuade tomigrate to NegaraKu and help us wit' his out-of-this-wrold's rendition of IMAGINE...?/em>strong>
6 comments:
"So the next thing bothering Desi's mind: can I infer that the Government's department has been "cooking"up its figures?"
Please ask your MP to table a big Q in Parliament to Mamak Foresloosecannon Robokop:
'Sir, Can you confirm if per capita income actually grew by 40% between 2004-2007, as disclosed by you just before the GE2008, implying a higher rate of growth for M'sia than China & India (M'sia average 6%, China 12%, India 10%).
Were the RM:US$ exchange rate massaged and inconsistently applied?
Please submit your workings to MIER for them to confirm it independently.
Also, what was the actula billions of RM lost by speculative trading in US$ when you were in charge of money-market trading at Bank Negara. Was it 6 billion or 30 billion?'
Desi
It should read Forexloosecannon. Pl amend. Tq
donplaypuks:
I am acting on your urgings/appeals -- which is which? Fwing this post plus your Comments to Sdr Tian Chua dan Sdr William Leong; they may contact you and I for tehtari' dan kambing! You coming?
Dear Readers All, esp donplaypuks:
I had just sent to Sdr Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) dan Sdr William Leong (PKR-Selayang) our esteemed MPs this email:
"Dear Saudara Yang Berkidmat Tian dan William:
I wrote a Post today based on a news report quoting the PM advising the Rakyat to adjust their style of living -- like what DPM did previously asking us to "tighten our belt" -- and one smartaleck Commenter asked me to relay a request to both of you.
One of thee taking up the Blogger's reader's request hear!
Reagrds,
YL, Desi:) knottySsusual
**************************************************************
"PM (and DPM previously) talking cock!"
3 Comments - Hide Original Post ...
Dear Desi
Sure, we can meet up if need be. Please send me an email to za@donplaypus.com and I'll email back my handphone no.
As regards inflation, it really depends on the basket of goods and weightage given to each item therein that determines the final average rate.
It may be that consumer patterns have changed significantly, and our Treasury has not revised the gooodies and weightage.
Our gut feel tells us that inflation should be much higher than the official figures. You only have to look at the current prices of petrol, tool charges, rice, bread, roti chanai & teh tarik to appreciate this. Internationally, the price of commodities and metals have literally gone through the roof!
Heck, I'm no economist, so let MIER or some other expert come out with its figures.
One way statistics can be misleading is the way our demographic numbers are released. This was posted at Lim Kit Siang's blog.
Chinese, Indians and others were given as 24.9%, 7.5% & 1.2%respectively, with Bumiputra at 66.4%.
This is curious as one classification is by race, while theother, Bumiputra, is an economic term, which includes Malays (Muslims), Kadazadusuns, Iban, Murut, Melanau, Bajau, Bidayuh, Naturalised Indonesians, Portuguese, Dutch etc. Most of the East Malaysians are not Muslims but Christians or practitioners of animism and spirits.
So, would it be fair to say the statistics have been massaged to give the impression that one dominate race clocks in at nearly 2/3 of our population to justify all the special rights?
25% of Sabah's population is said to comprise illegal (750,000)Indons & Filipina. Are these numbers reflected in the census?
But then again, as far as affirmative action is concerned, it is the minorities who should be the main beneficiaries.
So, somewhere, it does not compute!
I am curious to know what other Malaysians think about these matters.
donplaypuks:
Todae being sundae, I have more time to converse wit' mGf -- I think I forgot to welcome thee wit' Tehtarik, the bestA from Haridas (hari hari does it!) in Furong.
First thing first, my email, which is not female bythe way, so both guys and gals are welcome to write or writHe Desi! ~~
chongyl2000@yahoo.com.
I won't respondto your latest comment today -- do a separate Post on Monday ... the topic is worth elaborating. Fide et Labor, eh?
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