YOURSAY ‘BN's logic - making policies that causes inflation, and then point fingers at rakyat.’

Minister: Choose cheaper places to shop

Onyourtoes: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nancy Shukri, is this how you do research and form conclusions - a teahouse here and a chili store there?

But all these places you mentioned must relate to time and place utility, again a simple economics concept which you most probably never heard before or understand.

Six people having tea in some obscure place in Kuching at 4pm, costing RM12, is of no relevance and consequence to me wanting to have tea in the Klang valley at 9am, do you get it?

Don't you ever say prices in Petronas petrol stations and Mydin supermarkets never go up. That is as sweeping as you can get. Prices must related to quality - it is called comparing apples to apples.

Petronas and Mydin can only charge lower prices (for similar products) if they are more efficient or are willing to make lower profit margin when compared with others, unless there are hidden subsidies somewhere provided by the government.

Now you have to prove it to me Petronas and Mydin are more efficient - in operation, bulk purchases, etc, and that they are also more altruistic (i.e. willing to make less money).

Nancy, please go learn some basic economics before you venture into prices, market, subsidies, distortions and the economy. Sorry for being cocky, but I think three-quarters of the cabinet do not know what I am talking about.

RCZ: Nancy's justifications and remedies are bizarre. It looks like my weekends will be spent on going to several places to buy different vegetables if I were to take her ridiculous advice. Or maybe we should eat only one type of vegetable a week.

Can our leaders grasp and understand inflation, higher prices and lower buying power? If they can't understand this, how can they solve these issues? Sigh.

Sabahan: Nancy does not use her brains. There may be cheaper places to shop, but if they are far away, can the time and cost of transportation to go to these places be worth it? And stop promoting Mydin shops. We know they are 1Malaysia shops.

In Sabah, each of these shops are subsidised to the tune of more than RM1 million. If they cannot sell cheaper (in fact some of their stuff is more expensive) than ordinary shops, they should just close down.

Versey: All that you and the ministers' wives preached about shopping around to look for cheaper goods has long been practised by our grandmothers and is nothing new.

Don't you understand that the crucial point highlighted to you by the rakyat is inflation? With the depreciation in the value of the ringgit, the purchasing power of Malaysians is just pitiful compared to yesteryear.

On top of our displeasure at the inability of the government to tackle the root issues - corruption, abuse of power and inefficiency in the allocation of available resources - that got us to where we are as a nation, our intelligence has been insulted each time ministers and officials open their gaps, and this is happening more frequently nowadays.

The world must be thinking that if people of your calibre can lead the nation, Malaysians must be plain stupid to withstand such nonsense from you lot.

Mob1900: Umno ministers insult the rakyat by telling them they're too dumb to find these shops with affordable prices when they're the ones causing massive inflation and price hikes.

Fair&Just: Who do you think you are, Nancy? A lot of us have been avoiding those fancy places which cost more and we do not need you to tell us to go to cheaper places. Your RM12 tea for six is already expensive compared to those that we are frequenting now.

Instead go tell the cabinet and all civil servants not to buy grossly and overly priced goods/services and billions can be saved by the government and help to reduce high cost and the suffering of the rakyat.

There’s no need to tell the rakyat, go tell your corrupt cabinet first.

Anonymous #03815719: One chappati cost RM1.20 today, up 20 sen. My dhobi upped 20 sen for ironing per piece from RM1.

Anonymous_1390790746: BN's logic - making public policies that causes inflation, and then point fingers at innocent rakyat who need to increases prices to sustain their livelihood.

What !!!???: To you RM12 is not much because you are getting a minister's pay. That too, perhaps somebody else picked up the tab. To us common folk, that's a lot of money.

Now we have a minister talking about tea economics, instead of vegetable economics.

UMYES: Nancy. You mean if I have to buy 10 items, I need to go to 10 places to buy each item on offer?

Maplesyrup: I colour my own hair, shop at Reject Shop, buy only when items are on 70 percent discount. I have also been to Mydin - things may be cheap, but quality is also at the same level.

As for Petronas, it may not raise prices, but I hope Nancy knows that items sold at petrol stations and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven are normally priced 10 percent or more than what we pay at a supermarket.

Stories: Nancy, I live in KL. The cheapest place to get my meals appears to be in Kelantan. How the am I going to commute for my meals?

Nes: I am amazed why seemingly intelligent people become incoherently dumb once they become minister. Perhaps it’s because they have to defend the indefensible.

Fourtan: In KL today, a family with two kids needs at least RM13,000 a month to lead a middle-class life of some respectability. I'm talking about a home loan in an average area, two car loans, private education, etc, and a little luxury.

Can you honestly say to the rakyat that your BN government, through the last 50 years, has delivered that level of income to the middle classes?

Apapunboleh: Good things not cheap, cheap things not good.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .