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HAFIY, FAHRY & DANNY

World of Scarcity

i can't help myself writing about what is happening in our country recently. i think starting from the 'that guy' takeover Malaysian cabinet, everything went 'out of order', even someone without 'Bumi' status could claim for 'kesamarataan', which was never happened before. :D so nice.

last week, our PM announced the increasing in our fuel price, about 40%, and before that our makanan ruji (rice) increased 100%! what to say more? i heard this year all rice-producing country couldn't produce as what they should due to 'padi tidak menjadi'. is it true? i dunno because i never went to those Siam or Burma etc. but the food crisis is REALLY TRUE, and that's a good WHY for most peniaga to increase the price.

however, for the fuel price, actually i feel a bit 'lega' cos my sms & email inbox are almost free from messages saying 'the national oil company is this and that'. i think most Malaysian are aware now, what is the roles of our national oil company & the role of government.
however, i heard that there'll be a demo at KLCC in July, is that true? u know what? i sounds very funny to me.

why does the oil price strikes so dramatically?



1. growing demand
the most significant is the fast growing of China & India economies. and seasonal demand for oil due to winter, etc. in 4-seasons countries.

2. low stock
this is associated with the Iraqi War, ethnic tension in Venezuela, hurricane in Gulf Mexico, etc.

3. opec effect
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a cartel that adjusting supply quotas and thereby setting prices. OPEC’s prowess was particularly notable during the 1970s, when minor reductions in the cartel’s supplies led to “oil shocks” and thus global increase in price.

4. speculators' actions
hedge funds and other speculators betting on the possibility of higher prices have themselves exacerbated price pressure in the market. the price of oil is affected by the behaviour of market investors, doesn’t matter if oil supplies are actually low or if threats to oil supplies actually exist. they don't care as long as they can increase their trading.

oh i'm not a pro-petronas etc. but i think i can share what i knew so that i won't hear anymore, 'stupid argument' about the national oil company (petronas) & fuel price :D

1. they compare with non-oil producer i.e. Thailand & UK.
let me list down world's oil producers, what i knew only la.

Africa Continential
* Algeria
* Angola
* Cameroon
* Chad
* Republic of the Congo
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Gabon
* Libya
* Mauritania
* Nigeria
* Sudan
* Tunisia

Asia
* Azerbaijan
* Brunei
* China
* Georgia
* Kazakhstan
* Malaysia
* India
* Indonesia
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam

Australasia
* Australia
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* East Timor

Europe
* Austria
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* North Sea:
o United Kingdom
o Norway
o Denmark
* Germany
* Ireland
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Ukraine

Middle East
* Bahrain
* Iran
* Iraq
* Kuwait
* Oman
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Syria
* United Arab Emirates
* Yemen

America
* United States of America
* Canada
* Mexico
* Barbados
* Belize
* Cuba
* Guatemala
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Peru
* Suriname
* Venezuela

now tell me which non-oil producer they're comparing with?

comparing ourselves with Saudi Arabia.. it's like comparing 'Sos Cili Makcik Jenab & Anak2' with 'Sos Cili Maggi'. it's not fair kan if we asked "why sos cili makcik Jenab xde iklan kat TV while Sos Cili Maggi always ada? well, they sell the same product-sos cili". is it fair?

Saudi Arabia produced 9Million barrels/day while Malaysia produced 0.5Million barrels/day... is it comparable? Malaysia is only about 0.05% from Saudi's oil production, and the profit margin is very low. just think about the above analogy.

2. oil price strikes high, petronas's untung goes high as well
when the oil price increase, it costs petronas a bomb! the service companies take this advantage by increasing the service charges.

3. they burned the monies by building KLCC
if you can buy yourself a new car, a house, nice clothes, don't question about what the main contributor to your gov's incomes built themselve a nice building.

4. petronas should sell cheaper2 to the country
refer to no. 2. if they sell cheaper2, who'll bear the cost???? furthermore, it oredy gives a portion of $ to the govt.

5. petronas - govt crony.
i afraid not. TQ govt for not getting involve in petronas's organization or i can guarantee the company will melingkup just like other govt's companies :D

6. petronas officers monthly wages easily exceed normal citizen yearly income.
very funny. how do u know? have u ever been a petronas officer? WRONG! even a new teacher in Miri paid higher than a Petronas engineer in Miri.

7. where all petronas profit goes?
63% - to the govt. which is 40% of gov's income. TAK KE BANYAK TU!
7% - to the shareholders, royalties & taxes
30% - to reinvest

8. petronas should control the oil price.
it's no. after all, the fuel price is govt's responsibility, not petronas.

etc. malas dh nk tulis.

we've been living in complacent for so long and we hit the edge of our comfort zone, it really made us mad and feel everybody was stupid especially petronas and the gov. haha. indeed they are because we are much smarter, that's why we keep on makan gaji and become the prey everytime the price get higher and higher.

why don't we ask our children to study hard and become one of petronas MC or minister one day so that they will:
- decrease the oil price.
- give more and more subsidy.
- give us free fuel, free cars, free houses!

who don't feel the burden of high price in EVERYTHING? even for us, a pack of 10kg beras costs almost RM50. and the chicken costs us RM9/kg. don't have to go to the poor to feel the 'agony' of the higher living cost recently. in this case, i really think those 'ministers' are not very wise. they shouldn't say "rakyat harus berjimat" while they are happily continue their living as usual in their big mansion etc. it is nicer if PM said "saya arahkan semua menteri buat car pooling & makan nasik sekali sehari utk berjimat cermat". hahaha.

i'm not a rich person, but i don't have any power to ask anyone to reduce the oil price. and i heard in August, the fuel will costs RM4/L. haha. very nice. and we are shifting ourselves from middle class to lower class. now it is really kick us out of out comfort zone. i hope we can find blessing in disguise, beyond all this @#$#@#.

but, if we revert back to why Allah created & sent us here, to be the khalifa, now, do we really be the caliph? who rules the world now? is he a Muslim? think again, it is our fault to let the 'whatever' rules the world while we are the one who sent by Allah to take the role. He ever said that when the world goes under those 'whatever's authority, there'll be lots and lots of kemusnahan. and it's really is. (sorry i forgot the source & full text but i think it is a Hadis Qudsi, i'll come back later).

but i believe that Islam will strikes back. if we see the cycle of Islamic civilization, during Adam's, they're already had some technologies (remember Qabil & Habil bred sheeps & farming), but during the ice age, stone age, etc. ppl still go hunting, pakai cawat etc. and before the Jahiliyyah, Jazirah Arab was flashed by Islamic seruan during Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, etc. and now it is goes to the lowest point of ppl civilization again. it's not a matter of time, but it's our action, cos now we're the Muslims who left to continue the journey of Islamic civilization. and i really believe in what is said in our Kitab.

to me, and in our family, instead of blaming here and there, we look back in ourselves, do we really perform our duty as Muslims and the caliphs? could this be a 'bala' or test for us, to make us aware that, how high we fly & how far we go, there are things we can't control? and if we want to fit ourselves into 'a Muslim profile', where are we?

anyway, we can choose to face this with positive attitude and be happy paying the high price of fuel & all the basic needs, or keep on pointing and blaming this and that, get stressed but still have to pay the high price :D we opt for the #1!

as i said, i'm not a pro-petronas nor pro-gov, but the reality is, we can't do anything. even if the other party takes over, will they able to reduce the fuel price? oh maybe they will, cos i heard, Selangor citizen are waiting for their 'free water' =) i want it too!

DISCLAIMER
*don't read if you can't differentiate between the govt & the national oil company.
*don't read if you're angry with the govt because this writings is not defending the govt., or anyone, just sharing the true facts about the national oil company.
*before you get angrier, please understand that the subsidy is not from petronas, but the govt.
*i have nothing to do with the company mentioned.