Lau Bing

To begin with, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) is said by the residents to be allegedly the richest municipality in the country because they are said to collect more assessments each year than any other council.

Channel News Asia (CNA) TV had these news shots streamed across the TV screen prompter on June 11, and the same was also reported over TV8 10pm Mandarin News.

Although low-cost house-owners had defaulted in payments of yearly assessments for some time now, that does not mean they should let officers from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the police to walk into their house to seize property.

The price for a plate of char kwai teow or rather a popular wok fried noodles with clams/mussels, an egg plus pieces of sliced fish paste, a few prawns and bean sprouts (ngar chow) or kow chow, sold in coffeeshops has gone up again with the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) since the last time when the government hiked petrol prices.

Ideally, especially during present times when families are faced with high cost of living conditions and living trends, the government should make education free for all citizens because  young working couples are finding it more difficult, as the days go by, to provide for their children as well for their elderly parents - or even themselves.

First and foremost, undeniably driving on federal roads, highways and expressways seem rather smooth or like a breeze nowadays.

SimeDarby needs to keep residents and property/house owners in Subang Jaya/USJ posted yearly/periodically, regarding the ongoing status and position of the piece of land taken on loan by the then-Subang Jaya Medical Centre, now renamed the Ramsay SimeDarby Medical Centre to put up a temporary car park as theirs was removed to use, to build a new wing with basement parking for the hospital.

Come to think of it, sharks are still being caught and ‘killed’ by fishermen despite people at large from Asia having tried to save them from extinction, by no longer taking sharks fin soup.

Since Singapore separated from Malaysia about 50 years ago, the value of the ringgit has dropped from year to year and was never the same then.

There you go! When it was reported that the world crude oil price was expected to drop down in 2015, I was right to say on Dec 5 that it would be US$50 a barrel, and this had become a reality on Jan 7, 2015.

Right now, food outlets in hotels and restaurants are charging their customers/patrons a 5 percent service tax (some 10 percent) for food and drinks sold/consumed in its premises/establishments.

What Malaysia needs doing before the goods and services tax (GST) is implemented or enforced in April, 2015 are namely:

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong has made ‘history’ for having kick-started a pioneer generation package to help pioneers in the republic who are 65 years by the end of 2014 or older and those who had become citizens before 1987 cover (to take care of) their medical and health care needs, and also to show that Singapore know that it was these pioneers who had helped build modern Singapore and paved the way to present generations.

The government has proposed a cut-off point on subsidies for petrol sale nationwide next year based on an individual’s monthly salary/income, of which this (reduction on subsidies) is to be worked out into three categories like those earning up to RM5,000 monthly will get to buy petrol with a subsidy, those earning between RM5,000 to RM10,000 will still get a reduced subsidy, and the next group with earnings of RM10,000 and above will have to pay the full market price.

The government should lift the ban for playing firecrackers and fireworks at certain set times and days, since these items have been widely let-off in the open by people of all races, cultures, traditions and beliefs during festivities like when celebrating each other’s ‘New Year’ especially during the eve night.

As long as the airline carries the same name then it will showcase to air travellers worldwide that it still has links with the Malaysian government, or rather with government-appointed agencies or corporations.

At the time of writing this report, that is in the next few days, we will be in February 2014, yet there is no good news on the current position of the Subang Ria Park.

Recently, a picture of a recent street protest held in Hong Kong captioned ‘Thousands rally for Hong Kong democracy’, appeared in world news page 23 of The Star on Jan 2, 2014.

Malaysians of all walks of life, ages, races and genders are seen talking, more or less, openly in public places like in coffee shops, hypermarkets, shopping malls and centres or in the streets, parks and gardens whenever they meet someone they know or when they find a chance to throw out their frustrations and anger.