A blast from the past before the current petrol hike....

found this article from long long ago... so sad la live in Msia... sigh Can A Family Man With Salary RM3,000 Survive In Malaysia? Let's do some simple calculations here. In Malaysia , the average family income is RM3,000 /month where father works, mother doesn't). I understand there are many families whose monthly income does not reach RM3,000, but, to make things simple, let's take RM3,000 as the figure. Ok lah, right? Okay, let's start rolling with a family which has Papa, Mama, 1 daughter and 1 son. Ngam-ngam .... Calculation starts... Electricity and water bill: RM100 (No air-con, No home theatre, No water heater ... ok?) Phone bill ( Telekom): RM100 Meals for a happy family: RM775 (3 meals on RM25/day, RM25 for 4 persons...?) Papa makan / teh-tarik during working hrs: RM155 (RM5/day, RM5 .. can eat what?) Car repayment: RM400 (A proton saga aeroback, 7 yrs repayment) Petrol (living in city, traffic-jam): RM300 (go to work, bring son to school, only can afford one car running) Insurance: RM650 (kids, wife and myself) House repayment: RM750 (low cost housing repayment for 30 yrs, retired still have to work to pay!) Tuition: RM80 (got that cheap meh? i don't think so) Older children pocket money @ school: RM20 (RM1/day, eat bread?) School fees: RM30 (enough ah?) School books and etc: RM100 (always got extra to pay in school) Younger children milk powder: RM50 (cannot have the DHA, BHA, PHA one, expensive) Miscellaneous: RM100 (shampoo, rice, sauce, toilet paper) Oh wait!!! I have to stop here, so... No Astro, no movie @ cinema, no DVD, no CD, no online, cannot KFC, cannot McDonald, cannot go Park walk during weekend (petrol expensive), no chit chat on phone with grandparents, and etc... Let's use a calculator to total up... WALAO EH! Shit! RM3,610 already... EPF belum potong, income tax lagi........oledi RM3,610 .... How to survive lah tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian ??? Our Deputy Prime Minister asked us to change lifestyle? How to change? Don't eat? Don't work? Don't send children to school and study? Besides that, I believe in Malaysia population, there are millions of rakyat Malaysia which still don't earn RM3,000/month!!! What is this? Inilah Malaysia Boleh... Sorry ... it should be Malaysians Boleh , because we're still alive and kicking!! Our politicians must be mad!!!! Please forward and comment boleh or tak boleh. No wonder so many Ah Loong around lah... ...

when will there be actual change??

Agence France-Presse - 6/12/2008 9:05 AM GMT

Malaysia's corruption at critical level: watchdog

Corruption in Malaysia has reached a critical level as the country falls in international rankings, a graft watchdog announced Thursday, warning the government to act or lose its competitiveness.

The UN's Asia-Pacific Human Development Report highlighted an International Country Risk Guide finding which saw Malaysia decline from a score of 4.00 in 1996 to 2.38 in 2006, with a lower score representing greater corruption.

"It is worrying because it is a business index which reflects on our domestic investment, foreign direct investment and confidence in the economy," said Ramon Navaratnam, country head of graft watchdog Transparency International.

"Corruption is at a critical level here," he said.

He said corruption in Malaysia was deeply entrenched in the negotiation of contracts. Bribes were paid to government officials to speed up trade licences, for police protection and for loan transactions.

"Our economic structure, the way we do business here, needs to be reviewed, renewed and redesigned," Navaratnam said, warning that Malaysia could lose its competitive edge if it remained "complacent and inefficient."

"Malaysia can do much better if there is stronger political will to fight corruption. Given the rapid pace of globalisation and increasing economic competition among Asian countries, it's time to pull our socks up," he said.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was elected on an anti-corruption platform in March 2004, but opposition leaders say progress has been slow.

Following his government's recent drubbing in national polls he announced several measures to tackle corruption and reform what many view as a compliant judiciary.

A royal commission recently authenticated a tape showing a top lawyer brokering judicial appointments with the help of politicians during the premiership of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Earlier this week, a senior judge said judges were indoctrinated and threatened with dismissal to pressure them into making pro-government decisions during the former premier's rule.

Stupid petrol hike!