The Reader

Everyone knows where Siberia is..

Sunday November 8, 2009

Siberian winds set to bring more bad weather

The ice cap is melting in Siberia, and that could spell more bad weather for Kelantan and Terengganu in a few days. An anticipated violent movement of Siberian winds across the South China Sea any time between mid-November and early December will trigger off another wave of thunderstorms leading to massive floods in the east-coast states, weather experts said.[From The Star]

As the saying goes,everyone knows where Siberia is, but no one wants to go there.Reaso:The reason-extreme weather conditions!

In a globalised world today,whatever happens(as mentioned),our folks in Kelantan and Terengganu will have to bear the consequences of bad weather.Some years back,when the enivironmentalists were talking about Global Warming,how many of us cared to even think about it.The common thinking among us,it is the First World issues.Similarly, when my friend told me about HIV in USA in 1980,my eyes did not even blink!Now, a few of my kampung folks in Kelantan had died due to HIV related diseases.

Sometimes,I wonder...how come bad things spread very fast, but good things need a lot of efforts to spread even to my next door neighbour!

A struggle to survive

Below is an excerpt from the Star.It is about how the poor people are coping up with rising prices of goods and services.Now,not only the poor, but small and medium contractors are seeing glooming days ahead especially in construction industry.It was reported that about 200 contractors who were awarded government contracts are not going to proceed with the project implemention due to high cost.(This news has yet to be confirmed by Ministry of Work/PWD).Which contractors of sound minds will proceed with the work knowing fully well ahead that they are going to lose money?I hope the coming meeting with the Minister of Work will resolve this issue for the mutual benefits of the client ministries and the contractors on 9th July,2008.The main issue is the VOP (variation of price clause in the contract).

Not only people in construction industry are badly affected,but almost everyone is affected.I hope the government will focus on this issue for the next six months.Otherwise, most normal people living statndard will be greatly affected by inflation that may lead to a recession.My experience of recession in construction industry may last at least 3 to 4 years for it to recover.

Sunday July 6, 2008

A struggle to survive

By JOSEPH LOH and RASHVINJEET S.BEDI

For people living in poverty, life has always been a constant struggle. So how are they supposed to cope with the increasing prices of goods and services?

WITH increasing prices of goods in Malaysia and everywhere else around the world, people now more than ever are feeling the pinch. However, for those who are living in or at the edge of poverty, struggling to make ends meet is nothing new.

For this unfortunate group of people, making enough money to survive was difficult enough before. Now, their quality of life has deteriorated even further.

Higher properties price

This is good news for property developers but how about the house buyers? My 26-year old son once confided in me that his generation can't even afford a single story link house in Kampung Pandan area where we live.The price has more than doubled since 25 years ago.

During my time in the mid -70's when we were young and just starting a family,we could afford to buy a single story link house even though our pay is about half of what the young persons are earning now.

Not only properties price has gone up but also the price of cars. I still remember buying a Honda Accord 1600cc for RM24000 in early 80's.

Looking back and compared to what the young persons now are earning, my time in the 80's is much better.We have more money left to spend and to save.

Knowing this scenario, the banks are having a field day offering credit cards to young graduates so that they can buy what they can't afford and pay the bank later with high interests.

By the way, the rich people(foreigners and Malaysians) are snapping up high end apartments in CBD of KL at RM1000 psf!Please read The Pavillion home run story.

In summary , many of us who could not resist to please our desires for our material requirements/needs will forever become slaves to our employers and the banks.

Small is beautiful

First, let me thank my friend Kura-Kura for giving me the book entitled "small is beautiful" -a study of economics as if people mattered;written by E.F Schumacher. It must has been more than 15 years since I last heard the slogan "Small is Beautiful". My country Malaysia was striving to be great nation,so many people want to make great things and have everything big.In the process,some have succeeded and some have failed.

I have not read the book yet,but I hope to discover something that I could do for me and others-in my own small way.I love simplicity.It is a beauty by itself. I think it is worth while to look again at "small things" because a few "big things" are quite ugly to look at.

Note:At the same time bookshop,I bought a very thick OS Manual for my mac-Mac OS X,The Missing Manual that Apple forgot to give when I bought my iBook.It should have been in the box;-) It cost me RM104.80