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Petrol price – subsidy, levy or free float?

Anil Netto
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17

Blog reader Sam Gopal has this to say:

Anil,
You have been advocating strongly for a STRONG and WORLD CLASS public transport system. At this very time you are asking the Government to lower petrol prices. Lowering petrol prices will only make the public go back to using their cars even more. I think the push is for the Government to maintain a levy of petrol and then use this MONEY effectively to IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION system. Lets not jump into the bandwagon and simply oppose for the sake of opposing.

On the other hand LGE is making ludicrous demands of giving RM6,000 per family using PETRONAS money. Seriously, why can’t he talk about using this money to improve public infrastructure? The very thing China is doing, pumping in USD600 BILLION plus to improve infrastructure, and not handing out money to its citizens just like that, where ther is NO Return On Investment, except paying for more imports with this sort of money handed out.

To clarify, I am not advocating a total peg to the market price. So while a price of around RM1.50/litre might be the real market price price based on the current global market price for crude and the historical trend (as Penang CM Lim Guan Eng has suggested), it might not be prudent to use that price. A price reduction, yes (to provide immediate relief for people affected by the slowing economy), but not a total free float.

I believe in the long run, we need to tax fossil fuels, which are a polluting, non-renewable resource. This could take the form of a small levy to invest in renewable energy (solar, for instance), public transport and other conservation projects. Such a levy should accompany immediate significant improvements in public transport – but so far, all the past promises of improved public transport have not materialised. This levy must go into a special “green fund”, which must be carefully and transparently managed.

Only problem is I don’t think it’s possible to have such a transparently managed fund under this administration; if the fund is not managed properly, the money could so easily be squandered in dishing out inflated contracts to cronies, as we all know. It is risky to talk about pumping in billions into infrastructure when we know there are many “leakages” along the way. Public spending should be for the widest possible public benefit and not just to profit some big-time crony contractors.

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Abolish ISA Mass prays for police too; RPK defends site

Anil Netto
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5

The Power of Prayer: The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Penang earlier tonight while an Abolish ISA Mass was being held.

A crowd of a hundred attending the Wednesday night Abolish ISA Mass was urged by parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez to pray for law enforcers as well as the ISA detainees. He stressed it was important for the police to clean up their act and wipe out any corruption in the force.

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Does RM1.90/litre for petrol sound right?

Anil Netto
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37

Let’s update the chart which Ong Eu Soon prepared:


 Petrol price Global crude

RM/litre US$/barrel
01/10/00 1.20 35
20/10/01 1.30 20
01/05/02 1.32 26
31/10/02 1.33 28
01/03/03 1.35 31
01/05/04 1.37 38
01/10/04 1.42 47
05/05/05 1.52 48
30/07/05 1.62 57
26/02/06 1.92 63
05/06/08 2.70 120
17/11/08 2.00 55
2/12/08 1.90 48
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Zaid’s OUT; M’sian Anti-Corruption Commission’s IN

Anil Netto
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13

I think I spoke too soon. This was what I wrote in my blog posting yesterday:

Anyway, contrast this with how Zaid Ibrahim’s presence at Pakatan events has been greeted by the folks in Umno.

And now they go and sack him.

Umno’s failure to implement meaningful reforms is complete. Well, you might ask, what about the reforms in the pipeline by March 2009?

I fell off my chair laughing when I read a source quoted on the front page of theSun commenting on the proposed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which is supposed to be more independent than the Anti-Corruption Agency:

“This means, the commissioner (the director-general of the agency) will enjoy unprecedented independence as enjoyed by the A-G, the auditor general and judges,” said a source.

Well, we all know how independent they are, right?

If we are lucky, the MACC might even be as ‘independent’ as Suhakam!  🙂

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On a lighter note, Guan Eng ventures into the lions’ den

Anil Netto
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16

Three possible reasons why someone invited Guan Eng to Gerakan’s Wawasan University for the inauguration of Chong Eu as its first chancellor:

  • it’s common courtesy to invite the Chief Minister;
  • the person who issued the invitation has a good sense of humour; or
  • the person who issued the invitation wanted to watch the ‘fun’; or
  • all of the above

Wish I was there to watch all those awkward looks.

Anyway, contrast this with how Zaid Ibrahim’s presence at Pakatan events has been greeted by the folks in Umno.

This report from The Star:

Guan Eng in ‘enemy territory’

GEORGE TOWN: After severely criticising his predecessor Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Gerakan leaders for the last eight months, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng found himself in “enemy territory” yesterday.

He made an unscheduled appearance at the inauguration ceremony of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu as Wawasan Open University’s (WOU) first chancellor at the university’s campus. His attendance drew surprised stares from guests and newsmen present.

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High crime rates? Nah, just change your perception…

Anil Netto
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45

First, when the price of petrol was hiked, they told us to “change our life-styles”.

Now, when the crime rate appears to be high, they are telling us to “change our perception” of crime…

… and all will be well.

Najib was saying that our perception of worrying crime rates should be viewed in perspective: apparently Malaysia has lower crime rates than Japan and Hong Kong.

Maybe it was just my perception that my apartment was broken into last year and my personal belongings stolen.

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“Otak-tak-centre” approach to heritage conservation?

Anil Netto
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22

So the Penang government will consult Unesco to come up with a solution to the scandal of the four proposed high-rise buildings in the George Town world heritage core and buffer zones. In the meantime, the developers concerned have been advised to halt their projects temporarily to placate the public and to avoid risking the world heritage status.

Are they trying to persuade Unesco to agree to those four high-rise buildings? It’s not a question of whether Unesco agrees or disagrees. It’s really a question of whether we value our own priceless heritage, which is unique in this region. Look at how other historical cities in Europe have strict guidelines as to what kind of buildings are allowed and what aren’t in their own heritage areas – even without a world heritage listing. Over here, guidelines are just for show (or to secure world heritage status); nobody cares about enforcing them… as long as quick (short-sighted) profits can be made.

Why is the state bending over backwards to please these developers? You tell me. Oh yes, that familiar line again; repeat after me, all together now, “They will claim compensation from the state if we don’t allow them.” That’s pathetic. Let them try and do that, and we shall see if the people of Penang will be amused.

An irate Penang resident and blog reader, Andrew, sends this comment:

Why does this DAP-PKR govt have to consult Unesco for a win-win solution? The only win-win should be for the people of Penang and for heritage conservation.

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Mystery woman shows up at PJ candlelight vigil

Anil Netto
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8

Norlaila, with her son by her side, shares her experience of having her husband detained under the ISA for more than six years

The mystery woman ‘M’

Rakyat@work reports from PJ:

2400: As we parted, Benz says to me. “Tonight was something special indeed; more new faces, more new testimonies, more new insights into the rakyat’s hopes and dreams; in fact, every vigil night, there is something new and refreshing to take home.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. God is good and so are our bros and sis who are blind to race. It feels so good. See you all next week? Over and out.

2210: Vigil ends.

2200: Well, its getting late now, the latest so far. Somehow, the crowd is reluctant to leave. There’s something special about tonight. Richard Yeoh once more leads us into our national anthem, Negaraku, and boy, it sounds a lot better now. No off keys this time, ha ha, it almost sounds as if it’s coming from a CD or tape recorder.

2135: Next comes a gentleman from the PKR. He speaks of the good old days when anthems were sung with such pride and unity among all races. What a contrast to today. It’s a sad, sad story these days… when we are plagued with ‘man-made’ problems.

It’s ironic, isn’t it? While other nations battles with natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and droughts, we, in Malaysia, have to contend with problems created by ourselves.

A woman speaks of the fear of standing up to be counted. She encourages her friends to come for the vigil and shares with us how many others are being either ‘brainwashed’ by fear or living in bondage.

Another speaker, Lokman, asks that the momentum of the vigils be sustained. Have faith in the rakyat playing their part, he says. He has experienced the change and is convinced it’s already working. The good news is that many more Malay sisters and brothers are coming out now.

2110: After Norlaila comes the next surprise! Most of the crowd are caught unaware… not by the FRU but by the presence of a brave lady.

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Pave paradise to put up 800 parking bays in Youth Park

Anil Netto
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25

Canadian song-writer Joni Mitchell felt compelled to write the song “Big Yellow Taxi” when during a visit to Hawaii she took a taxi to a hotel and peered out of the hotel room window the next morning. She described what she saw to journalist Alan McDougall:

… I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.

The line “Paved paradise to put up a parking lot” could well describe what we are doing to our Pearl of the Orient, which is rapidly turning into one big parking lot.

“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”

Now I have stumbled onto plans to put up 800 parking bays at the Penang Youth Park. 800?! Are they out of their minds? We have such limited recreational areas and parks – and they can think of putting up 800 parking bays? Someone, please tell me it’s all a misunderstanding…

I got this information from an official-sounding website Adun PP Net. This is what it says:

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Make a date with RPK, Thuan Chye and Jo Kukathas

Anil Netto
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10

Raja Petra Kamarudin and playwrights Kee Thuan Chye and Jo Kukhatas will be appearing on the Riz Khan show at 10.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December over Al Jazeera English (Channel 513 Astro). They will be discussing Malaysian politics and culture and touching on the ISA among other things.

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