Mangosteen Polyticle

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Predicted Rakyat moves if government subsidies RON95 @ RM1.80 after May 1st

5th Feb 2010 by Mangosteen

From the article “Come May 1st RON95 is RM2.10 by Syed Akbar Ali”, saying that only 1 owner per car is eligible for 100 litres of subsidy.

So people like me that have more than 1 car would want to transfer their 2^nd car or 3^rd car to their family members so that we can also benefit from the 100 litres petrol subsidy. But actually the gov is fooling us.

1) 100 litres non subsidy fuel = RM210/month

2) 100 litres subsidy fuel = RM180/month

3) Gov subsidy us only RM30/month

4) 1 year the gov subsidy us only RM30 x 12 = RM360

RM360/year is less than last 2 years when the gov is giving us back RM625 thru post office on road tax renewal. That time still got cheap 3^rd party insurance coverage. FYI, 3^rd party premium is only RM81 + RM10 stamp duty.

But since last year 2009, you can never be able to get 3^rd party insurance coverage. So the insurance premium is high.

Saving RM360 this year, but we are going to transfer our 2^nd car to our family members. This is the cost if do it at your own time without runner.

1) send to puspakom inspections = RM30

2) name transfer in JPJ = RM100

3) time spent bring the car for inspection x1 person ½ day salary

4) time spent go to JPJ to do name transfer x2 person ½ day salary

5) Insurance premium without NCD.

If you hire runner to do the name transfer for you

1) send to puspakom inspections = RM100

2) name transfer in JPJ = approx RM200

3) time spend for you and family member have to go JPJ to verify your IC by filling up TM-BA form (So that the runner can help you do name transfer by submitting this forms together with name transfer forms).

4) Of course there is also an option that you dun have to go JPJ to do verifications. Ask the runner and they know how to do it their way. More fees to pay of course.

5) Insurance premium without NCD.

From the above illustrations… only insurance premium already more than RM360/year gov fuel subsidy. You want to spend that much money and time just to get that little subsidy in return? So again, who is making the profit?

Bravo Najib’s RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN.

Friday, January 22, 2010
Come May 1st RON95 is RM2.10

By Syed Akbar Ali

That's right. The Government is quite firm on "restructuring" the fuel subsidy on May 1st. Here is how it will work. First the price of RON95 will go up to RM2.10 per litre. Those who are eligible for the subsidies will have to swipe their MyKads at the gas stations and they will still get gas at the "old" price of RM1.80 per litre.

Those who are not eligible will have to pay RM2.10 per litre. This is based on todays world prices for oil. If oil goes up or down between now and May 1st, then the prices will be adjusted.

Eligible means cars below 2000 cc while cars above 2000 cc are not eligible. Between now and May 1st, you must register your MyKad and your car (if it is below 2000cc) somewhere. Details to be announced I think. Those with cars above 2000cc need not bother. You dont get the subsidy anyway.

Petrol stations will be equipped with a hand held device which can read your MyKad so that you can get your subsidy and also to read the amount of petrol you have used. The Government plans to allow only 100 litres of subsidised petrol per car owner per month. Only one car will be allowed for the subsidy.

All gas stations will be linked online (by May 1st) so that your usage of petrol will be monitored. The Government has talked to all the oil companies and they have all agreed.

Diesel will still be subsidised and commercial vehicles will not be affected. Only petrol driven privately owned passenger vehicles are eligible or not eligible for the subsidy.

What this means is that owners of cars below 2000cc will not see any reduction in their living expenses. They will still pay RM1.80 per litre for RON95 like they do today - no change there, except they will now have to flash their MyKads everytime they buy petrol, because they will only get say 100 litres of subsidised petrol a month.

Owners of cars above 2000cc will pay 30 sen more per litre - over 16% increase per litre of petrol.

Presently the Government spends about RM2.0 billion per year on fuel subsidies (petrol, diesel, all petroleum fuel). It is envisaged that this "restructuring the fuel subsidy" - which affects only petrol driven privately owned cars - will save the Government RM1.0 to RM1.5 billion.

Here are more numbers. There are about 8.0 million privately owned cars in Malaysia. Of these, 7.8 million are cars below 2000cc. This means this whole restructuring of the fuel subsidies is only going to affect 200,000 cars of 2000cc and above ? ?

And by making these 200,000 cars (of greater than 2000cc) pay an extra 30 sen per litre, the Government will save RM1.5 billion in subsidies a year ? ? I did some quick arithmetic and it works out to about 300 litres per car per month. But the Government is open for suggestions.

My view is while the 'restructuring' is supposed to help the poor, it does not really. They will still pay RM1.80 per litre (which they are paying now). There is no savings for them. Only the rich (those owning cars of 2000cc and above) will end up paying 30 sen more per litre. So while the poor remain status quo, the rich get penalised.

Even if world oil prices go up and pump prices also move up, the poor will still get subsidised petrol but at the higher market price. The rich will pay more.

I feel that prices of things will still go up. Although commercial vehicles and diesel lorries and trucks and tractors will still get subsidised fuel (thereby canceling the urge to raise prices) there will be some impact on the Consumer Price Index. Pasar malam traders use petrol driven generators to do their business at night. There are other equipment that may run on petrol - which may not enjoy the subsidy.

When the Government gave special diesel subsidies for the inshore fishermen (RM1.00 per litre of diesel), it immediately created huge diesel smugling problems. Then the Customs had to spend millions of Ringgit to buy boats to curb the smugling.

I think this split fuel subsidy structure will also create instant "kampong oil traders" especially if the oil prices move up drastically. People who have not used up their 100 litre per month quota will buy fuel and sell it for a small profit to others who may need it.

It would be fairer if the Government gave everyone a flat 100 litres (or 150 litres or 200 litres as may be more scientifically determined) of subsidised petrol. Above that and you pay market prices. And put in place a program to remove the subsidy altogether.

Its only 30 sen per litre (ok at current prices). The Government can reduce 10 sen per year and in three years, there will be no more need for fuel subsidies. The market will settle down to a new level by itself .

The issue of foreign cars can also be handled in a much easier manner. Singapore allows Malaysian cars 14 days free entry into Singapore. After that you have to pay RM75 per day. We could do the same thing. Charge foreign private cars RM10 tax per day - which goes to the Government or something like that.

The idea to deny the fuel subsidy to foreigners living in Malaysia does not seem fair. Foreigners who are resident here also pay road tax, drive cars bought in the country (paying excise duties etc) and may work here or run businesses here. They are actually part of the economy.

Foreign cars coming in from Singapore or Thailand are different.

The public also would like to see a drastic reduction in the prices of cars. Also a reduction in paying tolls. That would be more meaningful.

In conclusion, this restructuring of the fuel subsidies does NOT save any money for the poor (below 2000cc). The rich (above 2000cc) have to pay more. Both have to swipe their MyKads. They are all voters
.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Halal Bak Kut Teh

News taken from "The malaysian Insider" on halal bak kut teh issue.

The Malaysian Department of Islamic Development said it would not allow the dish to be certified as halal (permissible to Muslims) if it continues to be called bak kut teh.
Its deputy director Lokman Abdul Rahman told Utusan Malaysia that Muslims might mistakenly believe that the dish in general is now halal as Malaysians know bak kut teh as a herbal soup made with pork ribs.
“My suggestion is that the name be changed to another one, and not be continued to be called bak kut teh for the halal version,” he said.
Halal bak kut teh was introduced for the first time at a food festival co-organised by the Tourism Ministry last weekend.

For 2nd thought, is there a word written in the gospel of Quran saying that PORK or PIG is prohibited to be seen, mentioned, and not even think about it? But it looks like only Malaysian Islamic Development has another thought that PIGs like the mother of evil. Self interpret the quran and hold the power of GOD on their hands.

Wondering whether the whole world share the same thought? They think that they are different from the rest of the world. They are unique... Yes I agree, they are unique because they are the only group that unable to catch up the world developments, education and knowledge. They only focus on how to condemn others believes and culture. Condemn is their main focus now. For so many years, do their implementation reduce the numbers of rapes? reduce numbers of crime and drug addicts? So what function exactly the Malaysian Islamic Development doing? 1 for sure is wasting tax payers money.

Malaysia rank 66 for Best Places to Live

Malaysia rank at 66 on year 2009, we will see how much it would drop further for years to come.

Best Places to Live: List of Countries for 2009 compiled by the United Nations 5th October 2009

Norway tops the study, which ranks countries on their education, infrastructure, wealth, social facilities and life expectancy, using figures compiled by the United Nations Development Programme. Australia moved up to No. 2 and Canada remain at no. 4. For the first time the USA slipped out of the top 10 and the United Kingdom out of the top 20! China moved up seven places on the list to rank as the 92nd most developed country due to improvements in education as well as income levels and life expectancy. Niger is the worst country to live in. Afghanistan, which returns to the list for the first time since 1996, is the only Asian country among the bottom ten.

The complete list of the best countries to live for the year 2009: