A nation of inaction.
Our nation certainly is not in action. It is inaction.
First, we are faced with the crisis of rice shortage and price up. The low income groups are pinched worst. Rice is not only our main daily nutrient, it is also our lives. I could not imagine Malaysians living without Nasi Lemak, Nasi Kandar, Nasi Dagang, and various other “nasi” which make up our cultures and identities.
We have close to two millions acres of abandoned padi fields across our country. These lands are left useless for decades. These lands are still useless even today, when we, Malaysians, are craving for rice. What an inaction. We are made to know also that Myanmar, Vietnam, and few other countries would stop exporting their rice to us due to low yields of the crops. Fortunately, Thailand does not follow suit.
If I were the PM, I would form an urgent task force committee to work on reviving these lands as immediate as possible. Within weeks, these lands which are already lying on irrigated areas should start to grow rice by all means. In the next four months, the crops would start to be supplied to the market and ease up demands for rice.
Then the PM should start to draw up certain policies for food security, which is already in place in many European countries. Our country has lot less problems on land fertility and irrigation as compared to those other nations, to ensure we could produce enough food for ourselves, without depending too much on our neighbours.
Why can’t the PM think that way? I just wonder.
Secondly, we as a net oil exporter, join the band wagon of panicking countries due to soaring oil price. With the crude oil price is selling at more than USD120 per barrel, more people in the world would be pained with inflation and rising cost of living. Businesses would also find it hard to keep afloat, sending probably millions into unemployment.
On the other side, oil producing countries are enjoying better revenues and OPEC has so far refused to increase production of oil.
Where does Malaysia stand in this world divide? Why are jumping onto the wrong wagon?
It seems our government is more worried with the amount of subsidy for domestic fuel consumption. Thus, they mull about increasing the fuel price for domestic consumptions in tandem with world’s crude oil price.
This is wrong approach, both in short and long term, I opine. Simply passing the price increase to people on the streets is a no-brainer solution on government part.
Government should be focusing on reducing domestic fuel consumption to enjoy better income from our oil wealth rather than passing the burden to the people. There are a lot more things yet to be done to reduce our domestic fuel consumptions.
Improving public transportations, revamping the whole transportation industries to make it more efficient, developing alternative energy sources such as solar and nuclear, and reduce energy wastages are the things that have become more urgent to be solved.
Again, I don’t see we are doing enough on these things, sadly to say. In many cases, failure to act is more costly than acting incorrectly.
Will our PM wake up?
First, we are faced with the crisis of rice shortage and price up. The low income groups are pinched worst. Rice is not only our main daily nutrient, it is also our lives. I could not imagine Malaysians living without Nasi Lemak, Nasi Kandar, Nasi Dagang, and various other “nasi” which make up our cultures and identities.
We have close to two millions acres of abandoned padi fields across our country. These lands are left useless for decades. These lands are still useless even today, when we, Malaysians, are craving for rice. What an inaction. We are made to know also that Myanmar, Vietnam, and few other countries would stop exporting their rice to us due to low yields of the crops. Fortunately, Thailand does not follow suit.
If I were the PM, I would form an urgent task force committee to work on reviving these lands as immediate as possible. Within weeks, these lands which are already lying on irrigated areas should start to grow rice by all means. In the next four months, the crops would start to be supplied to the market and ease up demands for rice.
Then the PM should start to draw up certain policies for food security, which is already in place in many European countries. Our country has lot less problems on land fertility and irrigation as compared to those other nations, to ensure we could produce enough food for ourselves, without depending too much on our neighbours.
Why can’t the PM think that way? I just wonder.
Secondly, we as a net oil exporter, join the band wagon of panicking countries due to soaring oil price. With the crude oil price is selling at more than USD120 per barrel, more people in the world would be pained with inflation and rising cost of living. Businesses would also find it hard to keep afloat, sending probably millions into unemployment.
On the other side, oil producing countries are enjoying better revenues and OPEC has so far refused to increase production of oil.
Where does Malaysia stand in this world divide? Why are jumping onto the wrong wagon?
It seems our government is more worried with the amount of subsidy for domestic fuel consumption. Thus, they mull about increasing the fuel price for domestic consumptions in tandem with world’s crude oil price.
This is wrong approach, both in short and long term, I opine. Simply passing the price increase to people on the streets is a no-brainer solution on government part.
Government should be focusing on reducing domestic fuel consumption to enjoy better income from our oil wealth rather than passing the burden to the people. There are a lot more things yet to be done to reduce our domestic fuel consumptions.
Improving public transportations, revamping the whole transportation industries to make it more efficient, developing alternative energy sources such as solar and nuclear, and reduce energy wastages are the things that have become more urgent to be solved.
Again, I don’t see we are doing enough on these things, sadly to say. In many cases, failure to act is more costly than acting incorrectly.
Will our PM wake up?
posted by Jamna at
10:37 PM
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