Spending Power

With the global economic slowdown and I just read from a blogger talking about China's slowest growth in 6 years. China as one of the biggest exportor to US is already feeling the pain. This will surely affect China, hence the region. Furthermore, our Market is not been performing well since early this year and worsen after the G.E.12.

As an ordinary person, I have been feeling the pinch since late last year. It's getting harder to juggle around the salary I have until the next paycheck. Things I don't pay attention like surveying prices, calculate my buying budget, limit my budget on groceries and shopping each time I go out have now became a norm. Life is not easy nowadays. Everyone is waiting for the yearly bonus announcement. We have to wait until our parent company announced theirs in April. Most of us already calculating how much bonus we might get based on the performance reviews. Most of us already planning how to distribute the small bonus that we might have later. I bet all will have the similar answers. The bonus is not enough to offset the credit cards, not enough to offset monthly installment, not enough to pay loan, not enough to pay back friends, or not enough to buy a new furniture for a new house.

My spending power is getting smaller and smaller by the day. The up-market restaurants are not doing so well either (from a conversation with a friend). Shopping malls have to continously promoting "sales" to lure customers to buy and shop. However, from my observation, shoppers are not likely to go to areas with 30% and below. Most will go to areas with 50% or 70% discounts. Even I won't buy anything that starts with a 4. My limits now is at 3. If a shirt cost $30, it's now too expensive for me. Sometimes I will buy if the materials are of good quality but I normally settle for $20+. There is no need to dress expensive as I'm sure everyone is tight on the budget. As for eating out, well, this is the only thing a family can do on an outing that doesn't burn a big hole. Since a mom and dad can't really buy many toys or clothes or holiday for their family, go window shopping and eat at the food court will be the weekend entertainment and family gathering. For budget concious person like me, I don't really go out to eat anymore. I calculate ev everrything I spend and I limit my spending amount every week. Even with that, it's a struggle to keep end meets.

Looking at my situation, I'm consider blessed compare to so many people who go hungry everyday. In my company, most of the staff are unable to save for emergency. Their only saving is the employment provision fund. It's sad that in a civilised world, we are still struggling. Some of them have part time jobs to earn extras. Some share their lunches during month ends. Most of their lifestyle are very simple. Even their food and groceries are simple too. The store below my office usually sells over-night meat or fish in bundles. These are sold in an open space and not place in a freezer. Therefore, its normally not fresh the next day but still edible. They also sells vegetables and fruits in bundles too. What the store assistants did were to cut out all the good portion of the vegetables and fruits. Then they pack it together in a plastic bag. These bundles are sold in a very cheap price. You can get a packet for $1 - $2 only. Sometimes, it's a big packet. This is how most of staff buy their groceries. It's sad that not everyone can afford to eat fresh vegetables, meat and fish.

Being a US dependence country, the global slowdown will affects everyone even more this year. Time to put away as much pennies we can spare.

Something I received

PLUS - Pay Lebih Untuk Sami

KTM - Keretapi Taktau Masa

JKR - Jangan Kerja Rajin

PLKN - Perempuan Letup Kerana N***b

DBKL - Datuk Badawi Kahwin Lagi

RTM - Rehat Tunggu Mati

BN - Barang Naik

The Cross Road

This year I experienced a kind of election that I only hear about during my childhood. People always said about the 1969 victory but I've never really understand it until yesterday. Internet was a bit slow for the first time in my area. Note that my area doesn't has high usage of streamyx. The newspaper was selling like hot cake or in our term GORENG PISANG. Thank goodness for the internet and blogs I can get updated information faster than the super slow result on TV Saturday night.

The one that sank in my mind was the speech by Koh Tsu Koon on his defeat in Penang. As a politician, he has character and integrity from every word he speaks during the TV appearance. I wish more of our leaders are like him, regardless of BN or Opposition. This should be the way in a politic - humble in victory, gracious in defeat. He is a brave man to face the truth and admit is defeat graciously. He won admiration from me.

Our current government lost Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah (I believe WP too..)and lost terribly in Kelantan. I'm sure the Opposition never expect a wind fall either. The numbers of votes didn't decline either. This shows the Rakyat has spoken. We are now at a cross road. Before the election, the minorities are united and committed for a change. We want change. We want unity for all, not for a specific race but all, we are Malaysian. We want equal opportunity. Previously, Government can say they gave equal opportunity but I as a rakyat fell to see it. In fact, I see a declination. If I can see it, I'm sure there are a lot more like myself.

Yes, cost of living is an issue. Everyone knows that. Urban voters knows that even more. So what do I want? It's not because the Opposition said they are going to reduce it in their manifesto. It's because I want someone to try hard to reduce it. Explaination means nothing to me if one haven't try hard enough. I went though the 1999 economic crisis. It was my first taste in the working force. However, it was different then. I see how our formal PM and tried really hard to help us ease the burden. No doubt, there are those who only whinned during the 1999 crisis but life wasn't so bad for me. Yes I get a peanut salary but I have a job. I can feed myself. The essential items were more under control. Life wasn't so tough. Food and public transports still manageable with my peamut pay.

Nowadays, my salary has triple but I felt a hard pinch and my government didn't do much. Yes, Government did something but it wasn't enough. Government can't justify themselves just because they did something. That's wrong. Don't use the excuse of global economic issue and the petroleum issue that Government can't do much. Well, as a Rakyat, I want more to be done. More initiatives to curb and reduce the global hike. If Tun can prevent Malaysia from being under IMF, why can't Pak Lah govnerment do something? If Tun can peg our currency against US dollar to stop it from further downfall, why can't Pak Lah and team do something?

We are at the cross road. Now that Rakyat given the Opposition more seats in the Paliment and states, we want to see if there are changes. No doubt it will be more difficult to get a 2/3 majority for any implementation of policy and the so on...(not good in the politic terms and jargons) at least we won't see the the government misuse their authorities and power given. I don't want to hear excuses or justifications on the newspapers. I don't want the goverment to misuse fund and promote their families and relatives. I don't want the government to be ego and get away with their mistakes. I want check and balance. I want better opportunity for all races. I want the civil servants to work harder and termination if one preform way below par or standard. I want the councils and mayors to see themselve in Rakyat shoes. I want transparency. Show me actual facts that our inflation is only 2.5% and not 6%. Show me facts that crime in urban areas and cities are declining. All I heard when I go back to my hometown is my mom mentioned to me to be careful all the time, my sister from overseas remind me to be careful all the time, my mom and aunts informed who has been rob and snatch how many times!

Now that the Rakyat given more seats to the opposition, we want to see changes. We want to see if they keep their promises. We want to see if there's improvement in our daily lives. We want to see is there's improvement in the economic. We want to see if there's more transparency. If it works during this 4 years, the future for Malaysia will change hand.