One blow after another, with prices of all kinds of goods and services increasing and it is almost guaranteed to go up further with this latest unpopular hike in electricity rates. Guess what? The toll rates and fuel prices are also expected to increase in due time as the former is due to one-sided contracts, and the latter due to the all-time high price of crude oil.

Naturally, people would be forced to reduce their expenses; eat out less often, shop for cheaper goods and so on. We are already feeling the pressure and inflation will eventually force us to change our lifestyle and reduce our standard of living. Go for holidays overseas? I cannot even afford a trip to islands in the east coast. Why? Because the pressure is building up and I cannot be certain how it will affect my finances in the short and medium-term.

While the fuel price hike may have been unavoidable, the government could have controlled the toll and power tariff hikes because these big businesses are subject to regulatory approval. So why did the government approve the tariff hike? To help TNB stay afloat or to maintain the profitability of the independent power producers.

Some of the IPP agreements were signed during the era of cronism, nepotism and abuse of power; during the so-called high economic growth period

It seems that we are feeling the effect of the corrupt BN government as they only care about making money for their cronies at the expense of the nation, its economy and the consumers at large. Were the voters in Sarawak trying to send a message?

As a Malaysian, I am willing to go through the hard times with all Malaysians but the government is out of touch with reality. Can we afford this continued abuse of power at the expense of our future and our country's future?

I wish that we have a good and clean government that really cared about the people, one that did not pay just lip services. Enough is enough, our future is in our hands.