Taman Tasik Perdana

Panoramic view of Taman Tasik Pedana (Lake Garden Kuala Lumpur)

just to relax the mind look at greenery, too much politic is not good for health...

Oil price below USD121pb

Global Crude Oil Price traded lower at USD121 per barrel. This figure is way below the USD136 per barrel price when the BN government decided to hike the retail petrol price to RM2.70. Pak Lah said at RM2.70, the government is actually giving a discount of 30 sen to the actual cost of petrol price.

Well, that was at USD136 per barrel, now the price has gone down to below USD121, a drop of about USD15 per barrel or about 11% decline. So, how much discount are we getting now 20 sen? What if the price drop further below USD100 per barrel, will the government announced a new retail petrol price? Earlier Pak Lah had said that there will be no more changes in petrol price for the year!

Or else Pak Lah must announce more goodies when he tabled the Malaysian 2009 Budget next month. Much and long awaited lower income tax for individuals (no reviews for several years already), higher rebate for purchases of books etc.

Laman 2008

My visit to the LAMAN 2008, international landscape & garden festival 2008 at Perdana Lake Garden (Taman Tasik Perdana) last week, need to brush up on my photography skills, upgrading myself from analog photography into digital photography...

More coming up and welcome any comment or critic...

My Pride

Last Saturday, I was in Malacca, attending my daughter's school at MRSM Kem Terendak (located inside the army camp) for her student achievement award ceremony. Officially it started at 9.30 am and the Principal updates on the school's long list of achievements and most of the time he was precise, but the speech by the parent-teacher association or Muafakat Chairman took almost an hour, blowing his own horn and lots and lots of history lessons... bla, bla, bla. Ok enough of that, my daughter achieved 3.77 gpa number ten among the form 3 students but top in her class. For her high gpa she was awarded the Principals Achievement Award. I am very proud of you Afiqah...

Petrol Price

I was wondering, the government said that the current price of petrol in Malaysia at RM2.70 is after a discount of 30 sen, and that pricing was set when the global crude oil was trading at USD136 per barrel, now that the crude oil price is down to USD125 per barrel;

• Are we getting a discount or are we paying a premium for our petrol?
• Will the government reduce the petrol and diesel prices if the global crude oil goes lower?
• Why do we need to pay our petrol based on global commodity trading price?

Petronas is own by the government and the oil should be directly own by the government.

In a recent forum among corporate leaders organised by Bloomberg, Datuk Idris Jala (MAS) - based on his previous experience in multinational Petroleum company, told the attendees that the actual cost for producing oil is only around USD30-USD40 per barrel, the rest are trade margin. If this is the situation why do we need to trade or pricing based on global petrol trading price, since the petrol were sold domestically. In my opinion only the portion for export should be based on commodity trading price.

The purpose of commodity trading is to replace barter trade. Barter trade and commodity trading involves international trade, whereas for domestic consumption should be exempted from following the international trading price. Please correct me on this if I am wrong.

Or is it just to give Petronas huge profit from the pricing, then gives some dividend back to the government from the profit, but at the same time we as Malaysian citizen was unwittingly taxed when we buy petrol and contribute to the profit of Petronas and paying dividend to the government.

Inflation Rate 7.7%

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the inflation rate jumped sharply 7.7%, doubled from may CPI of 3.8% and a 27 seven year record high, higher than market forecast of 6.74%. I expect the inflation is expected to remain high in July and probably the rest of the year. In July further increase in the electricity tariff will continue push the index at the current level.

Previously our CPI is just recording below 3.8% while other countries are already in the 6-11% hike. In June; China (7.1%), Singapore (7.5%), Hong Kong (6.1%), Philippines (11.4%), Thailand (8.9%), Indonesia (11%).

Crude Oil prices last night drop to USD124 per barrel after recording the high of USD147 per barrel last week. Malaysia hiked the petrol and diesel price when the Oil prices was trading at USD136 per barrel.

Tomorrow Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will hold a monthly monetary meeting and market are expecting a review on the interest rates. Will BNM increase the interest rates from currently at 3.5% to 3.75%? However, the current inflation is not due to supply-demand factor but more of cost push factor.

Will we suffer as much as in 1998?

Perdana vs E200K

If given a choice, which would you choose between Proton Perdana and Mercedes E200K? I would definitely choose Mercedes E200K. No, not because of maintenance expenditure, why should I care about maintenance cost as it is being paid by the government! The reason people are crazy about power and authority is to get hold of the privileges that comes along... luxury and attention.

Would you look twice at anybody driving a proton - no, perdana - no, toyota camry - just a toyota, cefiro - never heard of it before, mercedes - "waaaaaa.......! VIP la!", that is the perception you get. Have you seen a multinational corporate company's CEO driving a proton, the expression "sengkeklah!", the same applies to politician.

Furthermore, they already own bimmers, mercs, lexus as their private cars, how are they gonna go around in cheaper cars to meet rakyat... "Exco ni sengkeklah...!"

If the economy is good and a full majority controlled by BN, the rakyat will just close one eyes for such an expenditure, but during economic downturn, politicians spends like nobody's business, it should create negative response.

The excuse is about maintenance, have they done any paperwork on the purchase, surely it must include the feasibility studies and the justification for the huge expenditure. My mathematic is not so good but even my primary school children know the difference between RM3.43million (14 E200K) and RM1.4million(14 Perdana). Maintenance, for perdana every 5,000km around RM300, while for E200K every 12,000km costs between RM700, please do the calculation, it is almost the same, where is the savings?

These power crazy people never learn... I am afraid the issue will just die down.......

Just to quote a remark by one BN Minister, "These people are making a fool out of themselves, riding a bicycle to parliament doesn't fit the status of a MP." because some opposition MPs ride bicycles to Parliament. Is status so important? or saving duit rakyat...?

There goes rakyat's monies....