Leadership by example, PM should fly economy

This morning, a friend texted me about the expected increase in fuel prices tomorrow, the August date being a red herring, to avoid people rushing to fill up. Now that it has been confirmed, I think the petrol stations would have been dry by now. I am still trying to imagine the impact of the following:

Rm2.70 a litre for petrol and Rm2.58 a litre for diesel from midnight
- an increase of 40% and 63% respectively and I believe our inflation rate will continue to stay at 3%?

While our PM and DPM jet around in their government provided planes and vehicles, we have to change our lifestyles. I hope our PM can continue to sleep well while we ponder whether to take the car or cycle to work, or in my case, for breakfast. Going to KL by car is prohibitive now and going by bus is dicey. The fast train service using the double-tracking is unavailable for another 2 years.

I would have supported the decision for reducing the subsidies, if not for the many instances of wastage by the BN and Petronas as instructed by BN. Can someone enlighten me why higher prices for oil do not translate into bumper profits for Petronas which could have taken care of subsidies?

My friend, BH had forwarded the following email, supposedly by a civil servant, in response to PM’s request for ideas on how to tackle the subsidy problem:

My two cents.

The PM has asked us civil servants for ideas on ways to tackle the subsidy problem amidst the rise in the price of fuel and food. How thoughtful of him. I wonder why he didn't ask for our ideas when he was initiating all those corridors, North, South, East and West. If he had asked us for ideas then, now he wouldn't have needed to ask for ideas any longer.

Well anyway here are some ideas from a layman, common civil servant who is not an economist, who has no experience running a country but all the same someone who is not blind to what is going on in this country.

Hey I am not blaming you for the increase in the price of crude and food for you are not that important so as to have an impact on the price of crude and food in this world. I feel sorry for you to have been cornered such that you have to ask us for ideas. I am sure you would get many ideas from us civil servants and I am more sure you are not going to pay any heed to them because any idea coming from us would involve prudence, something considered a sin to be even whispered in your circle of people.

Nationalise Petronas which should have been the case in the first place. By this I mean, all income from Petronas goes straight into the treasury's coffers. Heck, Petronas doesn't even have to pay tax. All profit goes straight into the governments bank account.

If a road costs a million a mile than pay only a million a mile for it. The present trend of paying 3 million a mile so that some UMNO bigwigs and some well connected businessman could enjoy a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the people should stop immediately. The same goes to buildings and whatever that needs to be built. You save billions here.

Stop centralised contracts for the supply of stuffs to all government agencies. All government agencies should be allowed to buy stuffs at current market price rather than wait for them to be supplied by a central contractor who charges 2 to 3 times the market rate. More billions saved here.

Negotiate directly if there is a need to procure military hardware so that we don't have to bear hundreds of millions of ringgit in payment of commissions. It doesn't matter who pays the commission because once commission is payed that amount is factored in the purchase price. It doesn't matter if the party who receives the commission is local or foreign. Don't be stupid and don't pretend to be stupid.

Do away with PLKN which serves no other purpose but to enrich cronies and kill young ones who could otherwise be productive in later years.

Get your people to go after all tax evaders. Many highly connected businessmen are not paying the amount of tax that they should be paying. They are fooling the government left right and centre and you just take it because these people are important to you to maintain your lavish lifestyle and also they supply you the much needed funds come election.

Please for god sake do away with money and time wasting official ceremonies where canopies are rented at exorbitant prices; food given out free to people who are not actually hungry but because some officials could make a bundle by negotiating for it; halls or convention centers need to be rented out at very high price and the giving out of expensive gifts. We seem to have a ceremony for everything and when Ministers are invited lots of time is wasted not to mention the expense.

Be business friendly by having a clean government with a clean and trustworthy judiciary. This will definitely attract foreign investments, which creates jobs and with jobs, more taxes collected.

Be self reliant in food production. Do away with BERNAS once and for all. Encouraged padi planting even in states controlled by the oppositions. If there is still a need to import rice, no monopoly should be given to any party to import this item. No permit should be needed to import.

These are some of the suggestions that this stupid government servant could think of right now but maybe some of my friends could come out with some more. Yes, I know they are not going to listen but then at least we have done our part.