I wonder where the “leak” in the cost of generating electricity is (picture source: http://www.pcec.coop)
It’s funny I talked about the art of lying days before this post. So, when you read headers like the above in the newspapers these days, you know that 1. Someone is taking you for a ride and 2. This is just another cheap talk – the price goes up anyway. It seems like there are other masters out there
Year in and year out, the price of goods and services goes up, no matter what is mentioned by trading associations and politicians. When the price of raw materials or processing cost (induced by an increase in electricity, water or human resources) goes up, the cost of the finished good would have gone up as well. It is the fact of life and is inevitable. People with common sense understand that.
What we rather not see in the aftermath is statements like “there is no rise in price this year” and “despite the increase, our rate is still one of the cheapest in the region”. Sometimes, to the man in the street, such statement is an insult to his intelligence. That’s because whilst the rate might be the cheapest in the region, the level of service & quality may not be. To rub salt on the injury, some sector of the government would embark on some money wasting projects, all in the name of wanting to get things “done”. In the end of the day, the math does not add up – people tightening their belt to reduce wastage and save money and the government continues on a shopping spree and wastage activities.
Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers Association chairman Soo Cheng Kee said the tariff increase would not have a major effect on the prices of vegetables. “Planting vegetables does not require electricity, thus consumers do not need to worry.”
Ya, true enough but then again, consumers don’t eat raw vegetables for lunch and dinner, they eat cooked vegetables and unless you have the benefit of having your meals at home, you are going to eat it in a restaurant. This is where you know you are going to get screwed. The indications are there already. Words like “yet to increase their prices but a price hike was unavoidable” and “we cannot hold out any longer, especially with the latest electricity tariff hike” should bring back some reality to the newspaper headers. It has happened before when the fuel price went up.
So prepared to fork out an extra 20 cents for roti canai and teh tarik at the local mamak joint – the increase is inevitable.
Talking about wastage activities, in case you did not know, it is in the newpapers today that ACA is venturing into production of dramas. You read the papers right – as part of its anti-corruption education plan, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) plans to set up a drama production unit to produce advertising materials and docudramas.
If you don’t believe what you read in the papers, it gets better. Just have a look at the reasoning for this move –
ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor said with its in-house production unit, the ACA will be able to produce more educational programs towards the prevention of corruption.
I know I know, some of you might be asking “what the f@ck?” I thought the same this morning. Shouldn’t ACA leave the “drama producing” to FINAS and concentrate of reducing corruption in the country? Do you really need to waste time, money and resources on dramas? The corruption will continue to exist as long the guilty ones thinks that they can get away with it. Focus more on investigations, forensic science and training and any cost on that will be rightfully justified. Book down some high profile cases and the guilty ones will think twice of committing corruption.
Because at end of the day, if you know you will be caught ANYWAY, the chance of you committing crime is slim. No matter how good is a documentary can be (with all due respect to local drama producers, I had never found the quality or the effect of most of the local dramas up to mark for real changes), if there is plenty of cash in front of you and you know you will get away with it, producing such drama is just money down the drain.
Think about it.
Read also Jeff Ooi’s take on the IPPs
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