My message to our dearest Prime Minister

June 9th, 2008 at 23:01 · Filed Under Blogging, Malaysia, Social 

Here’s a message I have sent to our dearest Prime Minister at Warkah Untuk PM. I hope he is personally reading all the messages and really put in efforts to ease our burdens and also make changes.

Our dearest PM,

Let’s get straight to the point. To be honest to you, I was very angry to hear the rising prices of oil and foods and now electricity. I felt a little hopeless as income is shrinking but expenses are expanding. I know this is not anyone’s fault but the Wall Street speculation. This is another worldwide crisis after the 1997 world economy crisis.

Although I was angry and feeling hopeless, but unlike other most Malaysians, I am reasoning from multiple perspectives.

The fuel subsidy has to be ended as soon as possible because part of the subsidy to Malaysians has been enjoyed freely by foreigners for too long. The subsidy should have been ended long ago or it should never be initiated at all. The strategy for this round of fuel price hike was brilliant as it prevented foreign vehicles coming to rip off the last round of subsidy. When Shahrir made announcement on TV the night before the official announcement, I have caught the clue as he said “… tomorrow things will change…” and I filled up my tank one night before the official announcement. A clever strategy but misunderstood by many Malaysians. It would be too little time for foreign vehicles to enter and travel 50KM and to pack in a massive congestion rushing with other fellow Malaysians at the kiosks just to fill up their tanks. Brilliant!

The rising cost is inevitable, as I understand. But most other Malaysians do not think that way. I think, this time you and your staff have done a great job. But don’t make this the last. With the money saved from the fuel subsidy, I really hope tolls in KL can be abolished. Plus tolls should be reduced by 40%. Perhaps a reward system should be introduced to users of North-South Highways. The more they use the N-S highway, the more rebate/discount they will receive. It is not difficult to implement as there is Touch’n'Go electronic payment system which can easily track mileage of users. The problem is, does the government have the will and determination to implement and take PLUS Bhd. to compromise? N-S Highway can save distance and time and thus indirectly save fuel and increase productivity. Another way to do it is to collect all toll receipts and get a rebate from the RTD when Malaysian vehicle owners renew their road tax. I know this kind of reward system is kind of hard to implement but this can certainly prevent people from abusing it.

I also welcome the ideas of reducing assessment and land tax. This will help ease the burden.

The government should encourage people to do more video conferencing rather than traveling to meeting places. With high-speed Internet, this can be done. I have been using video conferencing for meetings and supporting clients (I am a software engineer). But, I do hope the government will issue more licenses to new ISPs. Current ISP, Streamyx is really slow and lousy, both their infrastructure and service.

Our government likes to compare our country with other country. Now, let me gives you some comparisons. In Okinawa, a fiber optic channel to the home carrying 15gigabits(down)/2gigabits(up) is only charging US$28 per month. That’s equivalent to RM91.38 (today’s exchange rate). We pay RM77 to Streamyx for a 1Gigabits service. Look! A great difference and Telekom still dare to claim their service is one of the best in S.E.A. and won an award! Malu tak? And recently, Telekom announced to invest billions of ringgit for copper wire network. Why not fiber optics? All of us, especially the government are ambitious to make our country an advanced country. But, thinking on the other side, can we? Why not invest in a good fiber optic network and encourage people and businesses to utilize IT to help reduce cost and pollution. Of course, the price of such fiber optic service cannot be too high and must be in the range affordable by all income groups. Encourage company to allow and trust their workers to telecommute to work.

This is the right time and the right opportunity to revamp Malaysians’ working cultures and habits.

Here’s a link for your reference.

The government should also improve public transport systems and to have proper walkways for pedestrians. Look at our cities and towns, none has good pedestrian walkways. It is not safe and comfortable to walk. Look at Singapore (another comparison). It is so nice, comfortable and enjoyable to walk in Singapore. Why do MBs and government officials need to spend so much money to go to countries so far away and expensive to study the way they build and manage their cities? Why can’t we take Singapore as a model city? Do we lose our honor looking at and learn the way Singapore government managing their country? Take Malacca for instance. Malacca government is spending a lot of money changing and maintaining flowers plants planted along road sides and dividers. We don’t need flowers to beautify the city. Flowers don’t last. Just trees with green foliage will do the trick and it can also help to reduce pollution. A green city is better than colorful flowers city. And trees do not need much care. I don’t see workers maintaining trees in Singapore every time I visit. But I see workers in Malacca taking and throwing out dying flowers plants and replacing them with new fresh one every two weeks or so. Everyday, I can see workers busy watering flowers everywhere in Malacca. These are all unnecessary expenses. After all, no one including tourists will slow down or stop by the road sides or dividers to enjoy the flowers. Flowers can be planted at tourist destinations such as the Stadhuys. That will be enough. So, please tell the Malacca Chief Minister, Ali Rustam to stop spending unnecessarily.

Are these good comparisons? No offense, my dear PM. I beg your pardon if I have offended you by any of my writings but this is truly from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you and I do hope you really change and care more to “Rakyat” Malaysia!

I wish you best of health.

Sincerely,
Adrian Hoe and family

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