Today’s news, with the headline:

Shahrir wants petrol priced not lower than RM1.92

By ROYCE CHEAH

PETALING JAYA: The minimum price of petrol should be RM1.92 per litre even if the global oil price continues to fall, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said.

He said this would bring some stability to the retail price of petrol and minimise losses by petrol station owners.

Setting a minimum price would also enable the Government to reduce its subsidy on petrol if the global price fell further.

“The upper limit will be RM2.70 and it is my feeling that this is the optimal range,” Shahrir said when commenting on the losses petrol station dealers face whenever the price of petrol is reduced.

Ahmad Sarpur, a dealer in Johor, said dealers could lose between RM13,000 and RM25,000 each time petrol is reduced by 15 sen per litre.

“This is because there is a minimum order quantity of 21,000 litres that we must pay for immediately. There is no credit,” he said.

“If the petrol is delivered in the morning and the price is reduced at night, we have to sell petrol 15 sen cheaper than what we had paid for it.”

However, Shahrir said the Govern­ment had been fair to the dealers saying: “We have not reduced their margin of 12 sen per litre after it was increased in June and we will try as much as we can to keep upcoming price reductions to 15 sen at a time.”

Shahrir said this meant a minimal loss of three sen per litre.

Ahmad pointed out that it was difficult for dealers to hedge on prices as they were not given prior notice of price changes. He said the dealers should be given three days’ warning before a price change to carry their optimal amount of stock.

So after being short-changed for so many years, us ppl still have to look after the rights of these operators is it? So nice of Shahrir to jump out and explain these things to us when the price hasn’t even gone down yet. Nice fellow, him. Yes, I understand about this part:

Ahmad Sarpur, a dealer in Johor, said dealers could lose between RM13,000 and RM25,000 each time petrol is reduced by 15 sen per litre.

“This is because there is a minimum order quantity of 21,000 litres that we must pay for immediately. There is no credit,” he said.

“If the petrol is delivered in the morning and the price is reduced at night, we have to sell petrol 15 sen cheaper than what we had paid for it.”

But what if the global oil price has stabilize lower than its price when our petrol cost only 1.92 rm? For a long time? Still 1.92 is it? Still protecting the rights of these operators is it? As of right now, the light sweet crude oil price is “62.73 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, lowest settlement price in more than 17 months“.

For your information our petrol previously cost RM1.92, until June 2008. That was only 5 months ago. So, I’m only saying our current petrol price should only be lower than RM 1.92 isn’t it?

Well, I’m just saying. But I don’t see why we, the people, are always on the losing side. And why they didn’t think of our “losses” when they raise 78 sens at once without batting an eyelid.

I feel incompetent right now. Yes it’s only ten in the morning and what a way to make your day a head a bleak one.

Please bear with me yar…

I HATE MY UGLY PICS SHOWING UP ON THE NET. whatever it is… jess, i hated my hair back then. Please take those pics down. I love you. Take it down, and I promise i’ll take pics with you when I look fabulously awesome.

Thanks.

And as a gentle reminder to all beloved friends, I hate taking pictures.

From overheardinnewyork:

At Which Point, the Party’s Over Before It’s Begun

Woman #1: They’re teaching sex ed in school. But he wasn’t understanding what “menstruation” was, so I told him it was like throwing a party, and you put up decorations and make a cake, but no one shows up so you tear it all down and throw it away.
Woman #2: That’s clever.
Woman #1: And that premature ejaculation is when everyone shows up to the party two hours too early while you’re still getting ready.

–Bench, Central Park

Overheard by: Rebecca

No matter how many online quizzes i did… half of them are from useless joke sites but some from… hmm proper sites?…anyway… I think I have ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Now I’m thinking… did they just invented the name of this thing and called it a disorder because the scientists are too lazy too think and that it’s easy to group the many kinds of stupids into one disorder, or it is an excuse for losers for not excelling in life? Like:

Loser: Hey, I think I have a test tomorrow… wait… I’d better study now.

(after 5 mins)

Loser: Omg, I’ve been reading the same sentence 5 times now, and nothing’s getting into my head. Bah!

(watches TVB drama. For 40 minutes without food or water or washroom break. And then going on to bitching about how damn hard the paper was and how there just isn’t enough time to study )

Now, tell me… do you have ADHD?

Yeah, I definitely has it.

Anyway I’ve always believed that they are no ‘blur’ ppl in this world, just ppl who don’t pay attention, listen or even care about what others might have to say. And even if they did, they probably didn’t bother to think and then response properly.

On the other hand, there are those ppl who just say what they want to say, no matter how trivial it is. Then ppl just don’t bother listening to them. As u can see, it’s vicious cycle.

I’m guilty of both most of the time… ahaks.

Now… I need medications and some concentration. Just kidding.

But it seems the only time I concentrate is when i’m trying to taste good food. Only good food. Otherwise, they all taste like oatmeal. Yes, BLAND.

Ah, that reminds me. KL FOOD HAS NO SOUL. I just don’t see enough restaurants making really good food and being proud of what they are doing. They might as well operate a school canteen, with premium prices. It’s been so long since I’ve been impressed by anything. Most of the time, I’m just dismayed, even when my expectations aren’t too high.

Now, I want to try this Jalan Alor Wong Ah Wah chicken wings that blogs have been raving about. Hmm.. and then… for world domination… I’d better get some sleep.

I’m so hungry right now that I don’t feel like making myself lunch. Catcth-22.

Today’s lunch menu: Japanese Ka~re

Omg… lazy

Regardless of how much bullshit the local media spew. In the eyes of the world, this is how we look like:

Abdullah Badawi said he had not been forced out.

Mr Badawi (standing) is due to step down in March

When I asked him if he regretted being pushed, he gestured to the man sitting beside him, his deputy and heir Najib Razak, and to the other politicians around him from the ruling coalition.

He said: “Ask them if they have forced me out.” A few shook their heads but Malaysia’s fifth prime minister is not leaving office in March 2009 because he wants to. He is leaving because he has to.

There are still a few months to go but the epitaph will not be kind.

“He was weak, he was reluctant to do things which he should’ve done,” says Chandra Muzaffar, a political analyst and academic.

After promising so much in 2004 when he secured a record victory at the polls, Dr Muzaffar believes Abdullah Badawi squandered a mandate for reform because he could not deliver.

“There is, I think, a personality factor at play – the reluctance on his part to antagonise people, to do things which a reform-minded prime minister will have to,” he says.

‘Power first’

The man who is almost certain to succeed him has been groomed for the job from the day he was born.

The government under Najib will be ruthless Anwar Ibrahim opposition leader

Najib Razak is the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister. He has been in parliament since his early 20s.

“People expect him to be tougher,” opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told the BBC.

“The government under Najib will be ruthless.”

He believes that little will change come next year when the handover takes place.

“Nothing is resolved, he is surrendering to a person who is badly tarnished,” he told me.

That is a reference to sensational claims that the deputy prime minister was involved in the murder of a woman.

Najib Razak has strongly denied the allegation.

One of his closest advisors is on trial for the killing.

In an interview with the BBC last August, he did admit that there had been questions about his reputation but said: “I think I have cleared my name… my conscience is clear.”

There are those who see this British-educated economist as the insider who can bring about change.

“Najib knows that if Umno [the United Malays National Organisation] and the Barisan Nasional [National Front] don’t change, in the short term, they will be in deep trouble,” says political analyst Dr Muzaffar.

But he believes that he will not promise a raft of radical reform, like the changes Abdullah Badawi promised for the judiciary and the corruption agency, adding:

“What impels him to bring about change is not so much a commitment to reform as a commitment to power.”

Fatal slip

The reason Abdullah Badawi is going is because he came close to losing power.

In Malaysia’s 51-year history that has never happened.

The same side has been in charge from Day One.

The country had continued its impressive economic growth under his watch.

But divisions which have haunted this multi-racial and multi-religious nation at times bubbled to the surface once more.

When his second general election as leader came around earlier this year, the people punished him.

Malaysia’s minority Chinese and Indians deserted the government in droves. The prime minister was humiliated. The Barisan Nasional won but with a much reduced majority. Support for the opposition swelled to unprecedented levels.

In the days and weeks after the result, Abdullah Badawi faced down his critics.

Then came the first sign of mounting dissent in the ranks.

He agreed to hand over to his number two in 2010. That failed to allay the fears of those who thought the government was doomed unless it changed leader and direction.

So after months of in-fighting he is going, much earlier than he said he planned to go.

“In all my years of service, I’ve always been guided by my conscience – I’ve always placed the interests of the nation above all,” Abdullah Badawi said as he announced his decision.

“It is with this in mind that I announce I will not be standing… in the coming party elections.”

He said he was going to ensure unity.

End of the road

Unity is a crucial theme in Malaysia. This is a country of different races, different religions, with people of vastly differing wealth. For 51 years it has remained mostly stable and peaceful, but fundamental problems remain.

The increasing role of Islam, the religion of the Malay majority, worries the country’s 35% non-Muslims.

A decades-old economic policy which gives preferential treatment to Malays still causes bitterness and anger. Malays can jump the queue for university places, government jobs and housing.

Abdullah Badawi’s reign will stretch to almost six years by the time he steps down but he may be remembered most for events in the final months.

With an invigorated opposition threatening to take power, the prime minister and his government resorted to desperate acts.

An opposition member of parliament, a journalist and a prominent blogger were arrested and detained under strict security laws. They were deemed a threat to national security.

Anwar Ibrahim is facing a trail for sodomy, an accusation many believe is fabricated and politically motivated.

Malaysia is at a “historic crossroads” the prime minister said as he announced his departure.

“We must reform and mature,” he added.

Now that responsibility will fall to someone else. The era of the man known affectionately as Pak Lah, meaning Uncle Abdullah, is almost over.

I feel cheated, somewhat. Although I know that it is happening, I still read local newspaper with their lousy journalistic offerings. In our local news:

1. Abdullah is DEFINITELY not a lame duck. He’s just giving away his seat for a successor

2. Najib is NOT involved with Altantuya at all and the matter has been given a rest.

3. Anwar is a gayboy. Nobody gives two hoots about wat he has to say, nor do they bother when he’s gonna set another for another supposed big day.

Haih… It’s hard not to get politically inclined nowadays. This is how a country falls, if these ppl do not set their priorities right.

A 15 sen petrol price cut is not going to bring the inflation rate down. And lorry drivers say that although their fuel memang cost 1.43 like bfore, but then they have to take into account the increased price for tayar and battery all.

So that’s why inflation is still high. Sounds like bullshit to me.

But I ask you ah, how bloody often do you change your car tyres or battery? Bloody often enough that even my egg-tart and pau should cost like 30 sen more than before? How much wheatflour can 30 sen buy you?

I reckon it’s quite a lot, enough to make one tart. Correct me if I’m wrong.

See, shouldn’t naik 78 sen suddenly wan last time. Haih…

Anwar memang tipu. I iz dizpoined. But Badawi say he will gau-time five things before he step down in March next year. Looking forward to it. But I think I’ll be dizpoined again. About the five things and him stepping down (or not).