China fuel hike

Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 26 c

Engtee called me this morning to complain that she had problem getting into the subway train as the crowd in the subway station has suddenly swelled. Instantly, I knew the reason for the swelling crowd – petrol hike!

China has recently announced that with effect from 20 June, the petrol price will be increased by more than 15%. The electricity tariff will also be increased by less than 5% in July. The increases represent the largest single increase in fuel prices in China in a decade. The announcement helped push crude oil prices down by more than US$4 a barrel as international investors expected the move to ease Chinese demand.

Want to know how much are gasoline and diesel sold in China? Here you go:

Diesel: RMB 6.03 per liter (RM2.83)
Unleaded 97: RMB 6.42 per liter (RM3.08)
Unleaded 98: RMB 7.00 per liter (RM3.29)

Now you see? The Chinese pays much more than the Malaysian. No! No! No! If you think that the Chinese are loaded and therefore they do not feel the pain, you are dead wrong. Take Shanghai, one of the richest cities in China, for example. The average salary of the people in Shanghai city is merely RMB 2,892 per month (RM1,360). But, not all of them own a car. The majority of Shanghainese use public transport (and some, who previously drove a car, have switched to public transport recently. That was why Engtee had problem getting into the subway train this morning).

Pak Lah was right after all! Despite the recent “unconscionable” fuel hike, Malaysians still enjoy cheaper energy, if compared to some other countries. We should be grateful. So, please do not demo, protest etc. Instead, we should kiss the BN poster 3 times a day to show our appreciation. Listen to the government: Change your lifestyle!

Sell your buggy (also known as Iswara) and drive a 850 cc toy car (also known as Kancil). Stop drinking teh tarik (good for your health and wallet). Get up early to walk to your office (however, if you plan to walk back to home at night, please reserve some money for medical expenses, just in case you are mugged by some illegal foreigners).

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