Cerita-Cerita Petrol Price Hike Everywhere
Top 10 anecdotes today from the price hike:
1. Both DAP Lim Kit Siang and PKR Anwar Ibrahim called the price increase “unconscionable”.
2. Penang Chief Minister critized the sharp increase as “socially unjust” and the subsidy policy does not guarantee the benefit of the poor.
3. Mahathir revealled in his blog statement that Petronas can actually maintain the subsidy and commented that a gradual price increase is a better option than the sudden surge. He is currently Petronas’ advisor.
4. Echoing the Federal Government’s oft repeated mantra to the Rakyat, Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) today called on the Federal Government to “change your lifestyle”.
5. Public peaceful protest on the has begun with DAP-led protests in Perak and Kuala Lumpur today. I received SMS just now and Malaysiakini reported that Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) will hold a massive 100,000-people peaceful gathering at the Twin Tower in KL on the 12th of July to protest the price hike and call on the government to return price to before the increase.
6. Anwar Ibrahim in his blog statement reiterated his election manifesto that if Pakatan Rakyat comes into power, the oil price will go down.
7. Probably is me, but the Penang bridge was not congested today. At lunch, a friend told me she thought so too.
8. 5th of June is World Environment Day, the increase of petrol price may after all be a positive measure for Kyoto Protocol in reducing emission of carbon into the atmosphere.
9. Last Sunday, it was reported that Old Man Lah announced a few “windfals” for Sabah people including RM1billion in development fund, RM1million for each MPs and RM400000 for Stateassemblymen to spend on their constituencies. One comment was, before the money can even reach Sabah, the Rakyat’s throats have already been cut. Sabah, bangun-lah…
10. Joreen had to do a presentation in her company today, free topic presentation and she did one on the petrol price hike - one of the suggestions she put forth to cope with the increase is to “sell our cars”. 
LGE is right. The poor will be badly affected this time round. Would it be possible for Penang’s DAP lead gomen to further provide monetary aid to the hard core poor? Already the poor are burdened by the petrol hike. What about the increase in rice and electricity? What about inflation? I pray that LGE has plans in motion to help the poor and downtrodden of Penang. LGE please help them!
Is petrol the only income for our gomen? I think not. They got timber. They still got Petronas. They still got their APs. According to an article in the Star [http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/6/nation/21470681&sec=nation] , the Petronas boss says that at the close of its financial year in March last year, Petronas had given the Government RM52.3bil in taxes.
RM 52.3 bil for 2007!
Gomen says it will save about RM18 bil in fuel subsidies after yesterdays cut. So in fact, gomen will have more than RM 70 bil in revenue from oil alone for the year 2008. So where’s all that money going to? Control food prices? My foot! More like buy tanks, submarines, buy Airforce 1 and secret bahamas bank accounts!
Did they even mention that they’ll use the money for charitable, social services or even for upgrading our national health care? NOTHING OF THAT SORT. Instead they “promise” to give rebates to car and motorbike owners below 2000cc and 250cc respectively. And “promise” to control the price of essential goods. We’ll soon see if they’ll make good on their “promises”. Like BN promises, they are EMPTY. BN can lie with their eyes wide open.
In my opinion, our gomen is in fact BROKE! They’re like termites, eating away the foundations of our nation. When will this house collapse? I rue the day when all cards are revealed. It won’t be a pretty scene. But what can we do as Malaysians? All we can do is to persevere and stand up for ourselves. We’ve went through the British Imperialism, survived Japanese occupation and fought against the Communist threat. I know that history will look at our time as when ordinary Malaysians went up against all odds and once again and came out victorious in the end.