The Kuala Lumpur Traveler

One Week in The New Year 2007

It has only been a week in the new year of 2007, and there have been quite a few interesting events unfolded right here in Kuala Lumpur.

Here are some of those events I think at the heart of most Malaysians:

1. While sending my daughter to her boarding school in Subang Jaya, I was greeted by a banner that reads ‘Happy New Toll 2007′ just in front of the toll plaza at the LDP Highway. I just smiled to myself initially, but suddenly my face turned sour when MYR1.60 was deducted from my Touch and Go Smart Tag, instead of the usual MYR1.00. That’s a good 60% percent increase and those jokers at the Parliment keep saying it’s still cheapest and would not affect pricing of goods…&^$#@~*&^+*%$#

Score 1:0 against Malaysian

Read Online Signature Campaign Against Toll Hike

2. The first few days of my new year had just been spending money…. on my children school fees and books. A lot of parents complaints about the high fees charged by schools and unneccessary workbooks forced upon parents by schools. The subject hit the headlines in the newspaper and TV news.

Public schools, yes I am talking about govrenment schools, not private schools which I don’t really care because I don’t send my children there in the first place and those who do have tons of money to spend anyway, are known to be charging ridiculous fees to parents despite the fact that compulsory school fees as stipulated by the government are in fact very low and affordable.

The schools, hiding behind the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) mask have been introducing all sorts of compulsory fees, not to mention unneccesarry workbooks, many believe the schools have some profit sharing schemes with the distributors, that when you look at the list, you thought the schools are yours, not owned by government.

Related news: Schooling’s getting costly
Related news:

Score 2:0 against Malaysian

3. In different states of Malaysia, thousands of trainees from the new batch of National Service Trainees were stranded because the buses that were supposed to ferry them to the camps did not have proper permits. This is the stupidest thing ever happened to a governement agency program that were supposed to train Malaysian youths self discipline and patriotism, and yet the organizer couldn’t even take care of the transportation needs properly. What a great start to these trainees. I hope those culprits causing much hardships to the trainees and parents are sacked for their acts of irresponsibility.

Score 3:0 against Malaysian.

4. The government finally had something good for Malaysian citizens. Well this is not really announced in 2007, but rather on the last day of 2006. The governement had agreed to reduce road tax for all motor vehicle classes. The saving ranges from as little MYR10 to as high as MYR1,059 per year. While I would like to thank the government for such measure to reduce our financial burden, I think our Deputy Prime Minister Najib was just kidding when he said:

….hoped that the lower road tax would go some way in lowering the cost of living

To our dearest Deputy Prime Minister, you have no idea of what you are saying or you just choose to ignore the fact that what you said is not true. How could a reduction of MYR10 per year for some citizens help to lower the cost of living when we have to pay 60cents more every time we pass LDP highway. No I am not being ungrateful, but I sincerely think you were just kidding, which no body would have laughed at your joke.

One Week in The New Year 2007

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