Last Friday, the Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman was quoted in local newspapers telling us ordinary folks to ‘change our spending habits’ in view of the recent fuel hike.
Obviously he was just mimicking his bosses in KL who have been preaching to us to ‘change our lifestyle’ which was correctly explained by another letter as simply borrowing from the environmentalists, but without the relevant qualifications.
An e-mail which has been circulating has shown that for a common family of four, (mum, dad and two kids) surviving on a net income of RM3000 per month is near impossible. The very basic expenses these days will zap all of that amount.
Yet, when the MTUC proposed to the government for a minimum salary policy of RM900 per month, it was rejected outright by the BN government, obviously to please the already rich bosses in the private sectors.
So it is really rubbing salt into our wounds when all those who have amassed their wealth out of our taxes and hard work for the last 50 years now turn around and ask us to tighten our belts and make more sacrifices. For whom I may ask? For themselves so that they can continue to enjoy their lavish lifestyles, with entertainment allowances alone amounting to RM18,000 per month?
May I ask all the present and past PMs and ministers when did they ever entertain anyone when in reality they get entertained daily by businesses lobbying for favours and contracts?
While some of us have no choice but to make changes in our lives albeit for the worse, but for some poor folks, they have really run out of things to change.
For 80% of Malaysians, they are already not smoking, not drinking, not playing golf, not going to fancy restaurants, not clubbing and not going on expensive holidays. The steep inflation recently may even force some family to forgo education for their kids.
Yes, they say that school fees and textbooks are free. What about all the other expenses that school principals and the education department are enforcing? School activities cost money for the transport, uniforms, shoes, workbooks, food, allowances and for those endless extra curricular activities that seem to be more for the benefit of the education department and businesses rather than for the future of the students.
Nevertheless, most Malaysians have no choice but to cry, beg or find extra income. Unfortunately for government servants, department chiefs have already stated that they are against moonlighting. I wonder what is so wrong when public servants work elsewhere on their off days?
Anyway, if we must change our lifestyle, I propose the following for all my fellow citizens both for their benefits and to make our present leaders swallow their own medicine.
1. Stop going out for dinner, even at the cheap restaurants, especially if they are owned by politicians. Tell them we can't afford them anymore. Stop shopping at their mega-malls as well and look for alternatives.
2. Stop watching TV. Most of the programmes are boring anyway. Force your kids to read books. This will improve their reading and language skills and save money because a TV uses power. Less TV-watching will lower your power bill.
3. Stop attending government ceramah. Boycott them. Tell the BN politicians you can’t afford the transport to go to their ceramah. Even if they provide free busses, the time spent listening to their propaganda is better spent planting vegetables and carrying out mini-gardening at home.
For those who have no gardens, turn your flower pots into onion and ginger pots instead. There must be lots of other useful plants that you can grow in those flower pots and sell them.
I am sure other Malaysiakini readers have lots of other ideas and they should share them with us. And when you really have run out of ways to change in your lifestyle, you still have one last thing to change, and that is to change your voting style.
About 51% of Malaysian voters made a mistake in the last general elections. It is time for them to review their thinking seriously.
Let those who have already amassed their ill-gotten wealth enjoy their lifestyle. Just don't give them anymore respect or beat kompang for them every time they come around again before the next general elections which may come at anytime.
No. 48, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar Utama 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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