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September 16, 2005
High and Dry
Things are looking up:
Malaysia's inflation rate hit a new six-year high of 3.7 per cent in August due to higher costs of items including fuel and food, the statistics department said on Wednesday.... It had previously hit a six-year high in June at 3.2 per cent but was topped by August's result, which followed a July increase in fuel prices -- the fourth since last October. [Singapore Business Times: Malaysian inflation hits 6-yr high at 3.7%]
It's ironic that we might be in for water rationing soon, as I know one thing that's been flowing fast and furious: The money out of my bank account.
Posted by aisehman at September 16, 2005 09:59 PM
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Comments
1. Inflation is inevitable with oil and other essential commodities prices being so volatile. Only thing is that the official inflation figures doesn't quite reflect the increase in our cost of living. Makes you wonder whether the numbers have been 'massaged'.
2. Sorry to hear that you might have to experience water rationing. Sad case of bad management of our natural resources and humans trying to play God with clouding seeding, felling of our forests and indiscriminate building.
The irony is that, not too long ago, we were laughing at the little red dot for having to drink NEWater. Now they even have DESal (from their latest desalination plant run by a Malaysian, I think) and we have our water authority blaming the rain for not falling at the right places!
Posted by: daniel at September 17, 2005 11:02 AM
The inevitable always happens. Even when the government announces several multi-million projects to ensure adequate water supply to us for the next ten years, withing 2 to 3 years, we face water shortage again.
Then it's the pipes that are old and leaky. We replace the pipes. It's the climate. It's the consumers. The list of excuses never ends.
To rub salt into our wound, the quality of water has deteriorated over the years, sparking a new industry in water filters, bottled water and many other related items. Is the necessity of these items taken into consideration when we compute the cost of living index. I doubt it.
Australia has less water resources than us. And yet they can manage better. Are you PUAS? Can you say SYABAS? I can't.
Posted by: bayi at September 17, 2005 11:12 AM
What is most interesting to me is that the impact of oil prices seems to have moved quickly through the system even though we continue to subsidize whereas in US and Europe and even in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, the impact is less despite no subsidies and high taxes. It is evident that our economy is still very much like Thailand and Indonesia than we are anywhere near developed ones.
Posted by: Bigjoe at September 19, 2005 09:54 AM