First Petrol went up by 78 sen to RM2.70. Consumers screamed and tore their hair out in frustration. They queued for hours at the petrol stations to ensure that their cars were pumped up to the full tank to maximise savings.
Traders jumped at the opportunity to raise prices. Wantan Mee went up to RM4 or RM4.50 in some places with smaller portions! Times are hard.
But peope are resilient and they struggled to cope, bringing their lives into some semblance of order.
Then, a month or so ago, the Government had a change of heart before the Permatang Pauh elections and lowered petrol by 15 sen. No crazy queues at petrol stations, no traffic jams.
Traders and commercial people aren’t following suit and reducing the prices they were so quick to raise when petrol prices went up.
Today, petrol is reduced by a further 10 sen. Petrol is now priced at RM2.45. I don’t expect to see any further changes to the economy. Reducing fuel prices before the Hari Raya exodus is merely lip service. The exodus will happen anyway, regardless of price of fuel, because its a festive season and balik kampung is our culture!
I don’t expect much else to change in terms of the economy. Wantan mee is not going back to its days of RM3.50 or RM3.80.
When crude oil went over US$100 a barrel, our fuel prices jumped by 78 sen. Now crude oil is below US$100 and we drop prices by a mere 25 sen and only because the Government of the day is facing political troubles. The next time crude oil prices spike, I can imagine another 78 sen hike.
But by then maybe a new government will be in place. Hard to say eh?
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Yeah, I save like what? A grand total of RM2 every week with the 15 sen decrease, but I still have to fork out more for my daily necessities.
@rinnah:Yep. Can you say stupid?!
Sickening isn’t it? How ineffective and inept some people can be, causing massive damage to everyone else?
@Adino:They never think and they never learn
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