YOURSAY | 'What is important to the rakyat is not GDP, but purchasing power.'

'M'sians should be proud as prices of goods in S'pore 70pct higher'

Existential Turd: I am surprised Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Hamzah Zainuddin has the cheek to use the statistics that he did to defend Malaysian government's record viz-a-viz Singapore.

According to his statistics, Singapore's per capita GDP is more than five times (500%) that of Malaysia, while its cost of living is only 70% higher.

Anyone who understood primary school arithmetic knows a person with 500% more income shouldn’t have much problem paying 70% more in cost of living.

Based on what qualifications did he land the minister of domestic trade job?

Rupert16: Hamzah is speaking half-truths. What is important to the rakyat is not GDP, but purchasing power.

The purchasing power of Singaporeans is much higher than that of Malaysians. For example, a 4kg liquid detergent costs S$8.95 (RM26.85) there while the price is RM21 in Malaysia.

But a person earning, say S$3,000 (RM9,000), versus someone earning the same figure in Malaysia (RM3,000) would spend proportionately less in percentage terms.

The only three things that really cost a lot more in Singapore as compared to Malaysia are cars, cigarettes and alcoholic products, but these are not daily needs unless one is a heavy drinker and/or smoker, or wants to show off with a big car.

So stop your lies, Hamzah.

AliTanApu: The value of the Singapore dollar is 300% higher than the ringgit. Singaporeans enjoy a much higher standard of living. The minister is using sophistry to deceive the poor kampong folk.

Phanga 1742: Indeed, Hamzah has unwittingly converted Singapore dollar values to Malaysian ringgit to do a comparison.

For example, you can get a plate of chicken rice for S$4 in Singapore. Over here, it's RM8 or RM9. So if you multiply S$4 by three, it's RM12 for the chicken rice, which is 67% higher than our price.

The minister doesn't know anything about purchasing power parity.

SusahKes: Please, minister, the typical middle-income earner in Singapore could buy an expensive upper range house in Klang Valley, and with cash. That means the value of their Singapore dollar has better purchasing power.

And one of the reasons for that is because Singapore has a clean and efficient government.

Just a Malaysian: A lawyer from a reputable university was paid RM10,000 here, but was offered more than S$12,000 (RM36,000) to work in Singapore.

Why does he have to worry about the price of goods being 70% more in ringgit value? His earning power is higher by 360%. What kind of minister is Hamzah?

Tekad: Compare the income of Singaporeans to that of Malaysians. Compare the services provided by the Singapore government to its citizens.

Compare the quality of life in general in Singapore. And compare the quality of government ministers in Singapore to those of Malaysia.

Anonymous #44199885: An apple for apple comparison is unfair as Singaporeans enjoy higher income, lower taxes and better quality of health, education and public services, whereas we not only have lower income and lower quality health, education and public services, but have to pay higher taxes and GST to cover the cost of corruption, political patronage, abuse of funds and unjustified borrowing.

It is said that Lee Kuan Yew cried when Singapore was told to leave Malaysia. It might be having foreseen our fate as Malaysians, he cried for us and not for Singapore.

Anonymous 242641505703475: Supermarket Mydin’s owner Ameer Ali Mydin and actress Sheila Majid have already raised concerns about prices of goods here. And they are Malaysians, mind you. Is it fake news?

What about prices of houses? What about prices of all sorts of vegetables, fish, mutton, beef? Talking about Singapore prices will not make our prices cheap to our Malaysian consumers. We are suffering so why talk about Singapore?

Tackle Malaysian problems. Tackle the 1MDB scandal. Tackle the Goods & Services Tax (GST) headache. Tackle Malaysian unemployment. Don't bark up the wrong tree.

Tony Soprano: I've seen cost-of-living comparisons on a US dollar basis worldwide. The cheapest major city to live in is... Karachi. So what are we waiting for? Let's emigrate to the Pakistani paradise.

It must be much better than Kuala Lumpur, because it's much cheaper.

Sama2 Rojak: Are you sure this is a minister talking? I suggest we go and live in Bangladesh or Pakistan as their cost of living is 100% lower than ours. This is a shocking statement from a trade minister.

Singapore’s standard of living is probably 100% higher than ours. Their salaries are probably a few times higher than ours. Everyone there earns a decent salary. Does our trade minister not understand such a fundamental principle of economics? I am shocked.

Why are we aspiring to be a developed nation? We might as well aspire to be like Pakistan or Bangladesh. That way, our cost of goods would remain low in comparison. Hamzah’s statement defies logic.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Hamzah, look at the purchasing power parity and the rate of inflation before making such asinine comparisons.

When you eat too much of ‘dedak’, eventually you suffer from brain atrophy.

Clearwater: I suspect the IQ of Singapore cabinet ministers are some 70% higher than their counterparts in Malaysia. They don't frequently make idiotic statements that raise people's hackles.

Chipmunk: In the first place, our currency is in a sham, and because of that, the prices of goods and essentials are very high. Where do you shop, Hamzah?

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.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.