PENETAPAN TARGET AKADEMIK SMK PAYA RUMPUT MELAKA - 20 FEBRUARI 2016

How MALAYSIAN SAVE money...

These days, prices are going up and our currency is going down. But not to worry! Saving money is a unique Malaysian superpower that should impress everyone else in the world. Here are some brilliantly creative ways that we Malaysians routinely use to save money – see if any of them applies to you! 1. You camp at petrol stations the night before the harga naik Trust us, bro... petrol stations are the most happening places in Malaysia...the night before fuel prices go up. You know how important it is to fill up to full tank before the new petrol price kicks in.  Why? Because MATH. If you save RM0.20 per litre of petrol, you can save RM9 with a full tank of 45 litres – enough to buy one Village Park nasi lemak! So you fill to full tank and then you get to fill your stomach with one premium nasi lemak for free – siapa tak nak? 2. You must find the best price even though the difference is just 30 sen When you want to buy something – new shampoo or even durians – you go to 3 different shops or stalls to find the best price. Like a trained Jedi warrior, if you see a shampoo priced at RM19.90, you can sense that it’s RM0.30 cheaper somewhere else.  In the end, you realise the first store has the best price and you buy it from there. Don’t feel bad though – you usually find deals on other products along the way, and macam Lord of the Rings, it’s the journey that matters. 3. During online ticket sales, you refresh the page sampai nak mampus It's 11.55pm and you've got everything ready. Super fast Internet? Check. Your browser tabs all closed except for one? Check. Mouse working? Check. Your 3 best friends online at the same time with the same page open? Check. Credit card? Check.  To you, online airline ticket sales are all-important competitions. Once the clock strikes 12AM, the race is on! You and your friends are battling against hundreds of thousands of Malaysians fiercer than the Hunger Games. You get your mom and dad to refresh the page. You get your uncles and aunties. You get your friends. You train your cat to press refresh too. You HAVE to get the deal. If not, how to go on holiday? Can only afford Port Dickson. 4. You always try to bodek for a better deal When the sign says “4 pisang goreng for RM2”, you think it really means “4++ pisang goreng for RM2.” Numbers are, after all, subjective and can be negotiated. You pay RM2, get your 4 pisang goreng, and then try to “pujuk” the makcik to give you more. “Makcik, mintak lebih sikit boleh? Dah tiga hari saya tak makan ni,” And you try out your “bodek” skills: “Saya kan selalu beli dari makcik. Sedap sangat pisang goreng ni!” Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, the makcik rolls her eyes. 5. You think “bottomless drink” means “everyone can share one drink.” You split the cost of one “bottomless” ice lemon tea at a restaurant with your friends, and then you all share the drink. When the waiter or waitress walks by, everyone pushes the drink back to the person who ordered it and buat tak tahu je.  Your pretending and poker face skills are epic sampai nak mampus. After all, sharing is caring! How can anyone blame you for upholding unity? Sehati, sejiwa, segelas teh ais limau! 6. Your mission in life is to sapu every free sample and free gift If it's free, you will find it and you will sapu.You will comb the mall from top to down, looking for free food samples – it’s like a treasure hunt meets a buffet. Soon enough, your lunch is settled… maybe even dinner. Some pharmacies put free shampoo and moisturiser samples in a basket in front of the store. You sapu that too – your social grooming budget is settled. And if you buy ANYTHING above RM50, your must-ask question is “Got free gift ah?” Buy laptop, must have free mouse... buy phone, must have free phone cover... buy house, must have free fish pond. 7. Your first question when you go anywhere is ‘got free wifi ah?’ Malaysians are spoilt for choice when it comes to phone plans to suit the needs of every person. But all this changes at a restaurant or a mamak. Instead of asking for the menu first, the first question you ask the waiter is "What's your WiFi password?"  You assume free wifi is everywhere, floating in the air like kuasa ajaib, just waiting for you to use it. You can live without food or water, but without wifi – mana boleh, bang? Who’s going to update your Facebook or Instagram? How will family members, friends, acquaintances, people you haven’t talk to in 10 years, and friends of people you haven’t talked to in 10 years know if you’re alive? How will anyone know what you ate for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, and supper? 8. During buffets, you whack all the expensive food… even though you don’t like them You are the sifu when it comes to ROI (return of investment). During buffets, you head straight for the expensive stuff – oysters, sashimi, crabs, tiger prawns, scallops, etc. Of course you may prefer the nasi goreng or mee goreng – but that’s not worth it, bro!  They quickly fill your stomach and they're cheap. If you paid RM60 for the buffet, the food in your stomach must be at least RM61. Buffets are all about the fundamentals of financial planning – if you can't get the most out of buffets, how can you get the most out of life? 9. You’re such an expert in repurposing things that the Ministry of Health and Environment should consult you on recycling. This is a skill you learned from your parents, who learnt it from their parents.  Why buy expensive containers if a good ol' tin can will do? You have a storeroom in your house that is filled with hundreds of reused tin cans. It's like a bank vault... except this bank vault mostly stores muruku, kuih kapit, kuih bangkit, colouring pencils, pens, old receipts, old photographs, plastic bags, and bad poetry you wrote when you were a teenager.  You even store money in a tin can – you think this is super smart because a thief will assume the can has muruku and not money. See, you easily solved two issues – logistics and security. 10. Keep calm before the good deals You really, really want a certain clothing item (eg. blouse), but won’t buy it unless it’s on sale. You try it on many times in different outlets. You visit the store almost every day to make sure it’s still available and no one else has stolen your “baby”.  At night, you dream about how it would look on you, how everyone would complement your fashion sense, how you would appear on the front cover of Vogue magazine. Still, you refuse to buy it because who pays full price for something?? Then a sale happens and there is only one size left. Even though it doesn’t fit you, you buy it anyway. It’s still a moral victory because you didn’t pay full price! You celebrate by waiting for another clothing item to go on sale… So what do you think? Do any of these habits apply to you? If they do, then you have the uniquely Malaysian superpower of saving money – give yourself a pat on the back. Some of these habits may seem extreme to you, but you don’t need to go that far to save money. You can get a Pizza Hut Signature Big pizza starting from just RM19.90. Choose from 5 delicious and unique flavours! Big is made specifically for Malaysians by Malaysians. It promises you pizzas that are big in size, but small in price. You makan banyak tapi bayar sikit je! If you think you’re a smart shopper and want to jimat duit, try it today! 

LEARN FOR A CHANGE ...

During the press conference to announce NOKIA being acquired by Microsoft, Nokia CEO ended his speech saying this "we didn't do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost". Upon saying that, all his management team,  himself included, teared sadly.

Nokia has been a respectable company. They didn't do anything wrong in their business, however, the world changed too fast. Their opponents were too powerful.

They missed out on learning, they missed out on changing, and thus they lost the opportunity at hand to make it big. Not only did they missed the opportunity to earn big money, they lost their chance of survival.

The message of this story is, if you don't change, you shall be removed from the competition. 

It's not wrong if you don't want to learn new things. However, if your thoughts and mindset cannot catch up with time, you will be eliminated.

Conclusion:
1. The advantage you have yesterday,  will be replaced by the trends of tomorrow. You don't have to do anything wrong, as long as your competitors catch the wave and do it RIGHT, you can lose out and fail.

2. To change and improve yourself is giving yourself a second chance. To be forced by others to change, is like being discarded.

Those who refuse to learn & improve, will definitely one day become redundant & not relevant to the industry. Its a fact....🔦🔦
REGARDS
DRB...

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference

UPM - VET FACULTY CAREER DAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2015

Tq so much my beloved veterinarian friends. ...
Your words really encourage the fighting spirit and deepen my passion in poultry line.
I truly feel indebted to my 4 idols and  because of them, I learned 4 important elements to become a successful veterinarian today. Even though they were  not exclusively involved  in poultry, but the values in them have driven me forward and  increase my enthusiasm in this field.
The elements are:
1. Time - Dato' Prof Sheikh Omar
2. Patient - Dato'  Prof Tengku Azmi
3. Passion - Prof Henry Too
4. Discipline - Dr. Nazariah Cheng.

Whenever I feel that I want to stop, surrender, give up or resign from this industry,  I will thinking of them.  Because of them I never give up and keep inspiring me to achieve what that I dream for.
" What comes easy won't last long  and what last long won't come easy...."
+ " Why Not "......
These important words given by Professor Sheikh Omar able to remove all self restrictions in me and I believe to  anybody also in this planet.
Everybody have a dream ...and without a dream,  it just like a bird without  wings.

To Dr. Jessica & Dr. Lee , tq so much for your moral support and attended my talk on that day......

REGARDS:  DRB.

BERJIMAT SEBELUM TERLAMBAT..

RAZAK (bukan nama sebenar) akan bersara pada tahun hadapan. Dia risau dengan jumlah hutang tertunggak dengan bank beberapa tahun ini.

Razak yang bekerja sebagai guru besar di salah sebuah sekolah di Pahang sejak lebih 20 tahun dahulu Razak juga menghidap penyakit diabetes dan darah tinggi.

Sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, dia asyik menggunakan kad kreditnya untuk membiayai perubatannya dan menampung pembelajaran dua anaknya di institusi pengajian tinggi.

Dia juga menanggung dua cucunya yang masih kecil kerana seorang lagi anaknya baru sahaja bercerai dan tidak bekerja. Isterinya pula suri rumah sepenuh masa.

Razak sudah tidak membayar hutang kad kreditnya selama hampir dua tahun. Dia mempunyai dua kad kredit yang masing-masing mempunyai jumlah tertunggak sebanyak RM20,000 dan RM 29,000.

Lebih memeritkan lagi, Razak juga terpaksa membayar RM500 setiap bulan akibat menjadi penjamin kepada rakannya yang pernah membuat pinjaman dan diisytiharkan muflis.

Dengan pendapatan bulanan sebanyak RM8,000 sebulan, jumlah pencen yang bakal diterima dianggarkan sekitar RM 4,000 sebulan dan jumlah itu sudah tentu tidak mencukupi untuk membayar hutang kad kreditnya memandangkan taraf kesihatannya juga semakin merosot.

Dia juga mengakui tidak mempunyai simpanan kerana kesemua simpanannya digunakan untuk membayar yuran pengajian anak-anaknya di universiti.

Pada satu hari, ketika Razak menghadiri taklimat anjuran majikannya, pihak penganjur menjemput penceramah daripada AKPK untuk memberi penerangan mengenai pengurusan kewangan peribadi.

Melalui taklimat inilah Razak mula mengetahui mengenai AKPK dan berhajat untuk ke pejabat AKPK bagi mendapatkan bantuan.

Kaunselor AKPK membantunya dengan membuat pelan pembayaran untuk kad kreditnya dengan jumlah yang dipersetujui pihak bank dan mampu dibayar.

Sebagai tambahan, kaunselor AKPK mencadangkannya supaya menasihati anaknya supaya mencari pekerjaan agar dapat membantu.

Dengan keadaan sedikit lega, Razak dapat menghembus nafas lega. Cuma apa yang dikesalkannya adalah mungkin tidak dapat menikmati kehidupan persaraan dengan selesa akibat daripada kesilapan yang dilakukan ini....

Poultry veterinarians in Malaysia

The poultry industry is a highly complex food-animal production system. Its success is dependent upon sophisticated techniques and systems to ensure disease prevention and product quality. Poultry veterinarians play a key role in the overall business and are typically the only individuals within poultry companies who are involved in the entire production process, including production management, health management, product quality, nutrition, and economics. Preparing veterinarians to work effectively in the poultry industry can no longer be accomplished within the DVM instructional program. Post-DVM training programs specializing in poultry medicine are now producing the veterinarians entering the poultry industry. Regionalization of training in poultry medicine has already taken place. These training programs are very important to food animal production in Malaysia; in the future, they must be nurtured and supported in order to remain able to supply the veterinary workforce for our dynamic poultry industry. Dr. Bahsha 6.8.2015 Malaysia.

Why German work fewer hours but produce more?

When many Americans think of Germany, images of WWII soldiers and Hitler often come to mind. But what many people don’t realize is that Germany is the industrial powerhouse of Europe, and is a leading manufacturer of goods for export to developing Asian nations. We don’t hear about the superiority of German engineering in Volkswagen commercials for nothing! The economic engine of the EU, Germany single-handedly saved the Eurozone from collapse in 2012. At the same time, German workers enjoy unparalleled worker protections and shorter working hours than most of their global counterparts. How can a country that works an average of 35 hours per week (with an average 24 paid vacation days to boot) maintain such a high level of productivity? Working Hours Mean Working Hours In German business culture, when an employee is at work, they should not be doing anything other than their work. Facebook, office gossip with co-workers, trolling Reddit for hours, and pulling up a fake spreadsheet when your boss walks by are socially unacceptable behaviors. Obviously, in the United States these behaviors are frowned up on by management. But in Germany, there is zero tolerance among peers for such frivolous activities. In the BBC documentary “Make Me A German“, a young German woman explained her culture shock while on a working exchange to the UK. “I was in England for an exchange… I was in the office and the people are talking all the time about their private things… ‘What’s the plan for tonight?’, and all the time drinking coffee…” She was quite surprised by the casual nature of British workers. Upon further discussion, the Germans reveal that Facebook is not allowed in the office whatsoever, and no private email is permitted. Goal-Oriented, Direct Communication Is Valued German business culture is one of intense focus and direct communication. While Americans tend to value small talk and maintaining an upbeat atmosphere, Germans rarely beat around the bush. German workers will directly speak to a manager about performance reviews, launch into a business meeting without any ‘icebreakers’, and use commanding language without softening the directives with polite phrases.Whereas an American would say, “It would be great if you could get this to me by 3pm,” a German would say, “I need this by 3pm”. When a German is at work, they are focused and diligent, which in turn leads to higher productivity in a shorter period of time. Germans Have a Life Outside Work Germans work hard and play hard. Since the working day is focused on delivering efficient productivity, the off hours are truly off hours. Because of the focused atmosphere and formal environment of German businesses, employees don’t necessarily hang out together after work. Germans generally value a separation between private life and working life. The German government is currently considering a ban on work-related emails after 6pm, to counter the accessibility that smartphones and constant connectivity give employers to their employees. Can you imagine President Obama enacting such a policy in the United States? To occupy their plentiful Freizeit, most Germans are involved in Verein (clubs); regularly meeting others with shared interests in their community. Common interests in Germany include Sportvereine (sports clubs), Gesangvereine (choirs or singing clubs), Musikvereine (music clubs), Wandervereine (hiking clubs), Tierzuchtvereine (animal breeding clubs – generally rabbits/pigeons) and collectors’ clubs of all stripes. Even the smallest village in Germany will have several active Vereinen to accommodate residents’ interests. Rather than settling in for a night of TV after work, most Germans socialize with others in their community and cultivate themselves as people. Germans also enjoy a high number of paid vacation days, with many salaried employees receiving 25-30 paid days (the law requires 20). Extended holidays mean families can enjoy up to a month together, renting an apartment by the seaside or taking a long trip to a new, exciting city. Business Respects Parenthood Germany’s system of Elternzeit (“parent time” or parental leave) is the stuff of fantasy for most working Americans. The United States does not currently have laws requiring maternity leave, while Germany has some of the most extensive parental protection policies in the developed world. The downside of these maternity leave benefits is that employers may avoid hiring women (with the fear that they will take advantage of the extensive benefits), and German boardrooms are consistently male-dominated at a higher rate than other developed nations, although the government is working to eradicate this trend. The financial benefits of staying home (from both Elternzeit and Elterngeld or parents’ money programs) are often too good to pass up for German mothers, and can lead to stagnant or non-existent careers. Since “at will” employment does not exist in Germany, all employees have contracts with their employer. Parents who have been gainfully employed for the previous 12 months are eligible for Elternzeit benefits, which include up to three years of unpaid leave with a “sleeping” contract. The employee is eligible to work part-time up to 30 hours while on leave, and must be offered full-time employment at the conclusion of the parental leave. Parents may also choose to postpone up to one year of their leave until the child’s 8th birthday. Either parent is eligible for parental leave, and many couples make the choice based on financial considerations. In addition to the preservation of the employee’s contract, the state will pay up 67% of the employee’s salary (with a cap of 1800 Euros per month) for 14 months. Parents may split the 14 months however they choose. These benefits apply equally to same-sex couples. Put Some German In Your Office The German work culture is very different from the average American office, but there are certainly lessons to be learned from our German counterparts. The diligent focus Germans bring to their working life is to be admired. Separating work from play can help us lead a more balanced life; putting the phone down after hours gives us a mental break from stressing about work, and we can return to the office refreshed in the morning. When it’s time to get something done, closing Facebook and turning off push notifications helps keep our minds quiet and the flow steady. Direct conversation can lead to increased efficiency, and more clarity of communication among team members. Americans often equate longer hours with increased production and superior work ethic, but examining the German model makes one wonder: When it comes to time at work, maybe less really is more!

Revolusi telegram messenger

1 ogos 2015 Revolusi Telegram Bismillah irRahman irRahim. Assalamualaikum pembuka simpulan madah perkongsian ilmu yang sedikit sebanyak bermanfaat kepada seluruh umat manusia hendaknya. Rasanya dewasa ini kita sedia maklum bahawa kehadiran lambakan aplikasi pesanan ringkas , dari WhatsApp Messenger sehinggalah ke Blackberry Messenger . Dari Wechat sehinggalah ke LINE sebagai pengganti kepada sistem pesanan ringkas SMS dan panggilan suara yang amat penting dalam perhubungan jarak jauh antara anak dan ibunya, isteri dan suaminya, kekasih dah buah hatinya, bahkan ianya tidak terbatas sekadar batasan geografi dan garis jalur politikal buat para penduduk planet ketiga dalam galaksi bima sakti yang tercinta ini. Namun begitu, racikan dan repekan kali ini bukanlah berkisar tentang WhatsApp Messenger atau aplikasi sezaman dengannya, tetapi lebih kepada Telegram, satu buah tangan terbaik dari syarikat Telegram LLC buat penggemar aplikasi seperti WhatsApp Messenger. Beberapa kelebihan Telegram yang ternyata selangkah ke hadapan mendahului WhatsApp dari beberapa sudut pandang yang akan membariskan Telegram duduk sama tinggi dan berdiri sama rendah aplikasi ternama lainnya. Sebelum saya melalut dan ke laut lebih jauh lagi, di sini saya sertakan sedikit sebanyak deskripsi tentang Telegram yang insyaAllah bakal menarik minat pembaca setia OMGH antaranya ; 1. Rahsia dan Selamat. Aplikasi kegemaran ramai, WhatsApp sedikit terkebelakangan dari sudut ini dengan hadirnya aplikasi WhatsApp Sniffer yang menunjukkan setiap apa yang anda bualkan boleh dihidu oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab. Tetapi tidak Telegram, setiap butir rangkaian mesej Telegram anda sangat terenkripsi dan berupaya untuk self-destruct bagi mengelakkan ianya dari diakses pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab insyAllah . Seperti yang tertera pada rajah di sebelah, beberapa ciri ciri keselamatan disediakan kepada pengguna Telegram berbanding WhatsApp. Seperti tertera pada rajah, ini adalah satu berita menggembirakan, Telegram mampu menampung sehingga 200 pengguna dalam satu kumpulan berbanding hanya 50 bagi servis yang sama yang disediakan oleh pihak WhatsApp. 3. Cloud-Based. Tidak cuma seperti WhatsApp yang hanya boleh diakses pada satu peranti dalam satu masa, dengan Telegram anda boleh mengakses pesanan anda melalui beberapa peranti. 4. Percuma. Berbanding WhatsApp yang hanya percuma kepada pengguna untuk tahun pertama penggunaan, anda tidak perlu lagi bimbang tentang kos penyelenggaraan kerana Telegram menyediakan perkhidmatannya dengan percuma selamanya dan tiada caj bulanan. 5. Berkuasa. Dengan Telegram, anda tidak lagi perlu menyunting video dan gambar yang ingin dihantar. Telegram menyediakan perkhidmatan ini dengan fail bersaiz sehingga 1Gb. 6. Mesra pengguna. Rujuk rajah betapa gembiranya pengguna Telegram dengan servis yang disediakan. Cukup sampai disini ceritera tentang Telegram Messenger dan beberapa ciri ciri termasuk kelebihan Telegram berbanding aplikasi gergasi sedia ada, WhatsApp Messenger khasnya..

LEPAKING CULTURE

"LEPAKING CULTURE " 29.7.2015 7.10am Wednesday Such a cold morning....my blood temperature start to rise seeing few students still "lepaking" in front of the school. It really get to my nerve. I stepped out from my car and politely ask the school prefect to instruct the students to walk inside the school compound immediately. The culture of "lepaking should be prevented from the roots before of it nutured inside our young bloods nowadays. Few parents around were shocked with my action and feel grateful with effort taken to ensure the student follow the rules and avoid misbehaviour. Since the school is belong to everybody concerned it is our duty to keep it alive, strong, clean & respectful institution. Regards, DRB...... "Lepaking"= Hang around.

The $10 challenge

Throwback Thursday - The RM10 Challenge 2 Years On

Its Throwback Thursday and we're revisiting a post that made quite a few people think. Two years on and we asked the question again; can you really survive on just RM10 daily in a post- GST Klang Valley?

Personal Finance Newsby Austin Victoron May 27 2015

Just two years ago, our article titled, 'Can you survive living in the Klang Valley with just RM10 a day?', created quite the uproar of mixed views and opinions amongst most working adults and students. From comments on-site to Facebook and even local forums, the topic was debated.

As a throwback Thursday special, we decided to re-look into the question. Where cost of living is concerned, much has changed over these past two years: the Goods and Service Tax (GST), electricity tariff, petrol, toll and even profiteering over something as simple as lady's fingers all seem to be the norm in daily newspapers. The cost of food continues to stretch our ringgit to breaking point.

Today we examine the lengths to which your red note can possibly stretch in a daily landscape of affordable meals where everything seems to be on the rise.

Stretching Your RM10 Bill
We first need to remind you that this assessment started off in good fun two years ago and should be treated such today. Inevitably, it has struck a chord in most of us about the rise in cost of living as well as to appreciate little that you have because someone else might not be as fortune favored.

Getting back on track; its almost impossible to utilise a RM10 bill to fulfill three meals a day in modern Klang Valley. Some agree, while others don't. The fact of the matter is RM10 for a day works more as a nutrition-jeopardising survival kit rather than a self-imposed way of life.

Like how the above statement is debatable, some actually find joy in eating cup noodles or even nasi lemak bungkus regularly while others see those consumables as red flags for health.

The table below will illustrate the steady ascension of price in these potentially hazardous popular and affordable foods which can be included in your meals. Bear in mind that these prices are in the form of averages, therefore they are presented in ranges rather than specific digits.

Food / DrinksYear & Price
-201320142015
Nasi Lemak BiasaRM1.20 – RM2.20RM1.40 – RM2.30RM1.50 – RM2.50
Roti CanaiRM1.00 – RM1.20RM1.00 – RM1.20RM1.10 – RM1.50
Thosai / DosaRM1.20 – RM1.70RM1.30 – RM2.20RM1.60 – RM2.40
Maggie GorengRM3.00 – RM4.00RM3.40 – RM4.50RM3.80 – RM4.80
Teh TarikRM1.00 – RM1.30RM1.00 – RM1.50RM1.20 – RM1.80
Ais KosongRM0 – RM0.20RM0.20 – RM0.40RM0.20 – RM0.50
*Prices may vary depending on establishment standards and areas outside of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

So, how much can you really afford with a RM10 bill for, let's say three meals in a day by having some of the popular inexpensive food and drinks above? Even at the cheapest item - an RM1.50 roti canai and RM0.50 ais kosong; you've hit RM6 per day and have just one of the multitude of food groups you need to survive. Contrast this with prices just two years ago? RM4.20 for the same meals.

Notice how steadily prices have increased every year? This means that in time to come, even affordable food and drinks will no longer be, well, affordable. And there most certainly are other counter measures to surviving on the given amount, but of course everything comes with a price. Cup noodles or packet noodles that are considerably cheap contain preservatives, which a lot of people see as a running medical tab while some believe its a small price to pay for an inflated credit.

Whilst at one time, we could eat cheap and unhealthy food to keep within budget - now even the cheap and unhealthy grow steadily out of reach.

Some would perhaps still suggest cooking at home but even regular groceries have not been spared the insidious price hikes. Considering the time and effort it takes to cook and pack lunches to take to work - will the effort really save us money once we factor how expensive basic goods have become?

At the end of our calculations for daily meals, it appeared we have little left to cover even a bus ticket. Such a far stretch of an RM10 note to even buy 3 meals a day made the thought of putting in a cost for commuting seem rather disingenuous. With petrol costing so much more and public transport fee hikes - there seemed no real way we could stretch that RM10 to factor transportation as well unless we all rode bicycles to the office.

The Verdict: 2 Years Later
Whilst we said two years ago that it would be possible but tough; today we cannot. Although, GST was only supposed to be 6% - the cascading affect seems to have caused food prices to balloon 30-50%. A plate of wanton mee is RM5.50; a cup of teh-o RM1.40; and the once reliable pack of Hup Seng Cream Crackers cost a good RM4.80 per pack now. What was once a humble meal - is now rivaling the price of a sit down, air-conditioned diner.

Of course, the hawkers will decry this unfair assessment. Price increases have affected them too and they claim they are forced to increase their prices. Maybe this is fair; maybe it isn't.

But whilst we argue the fairness or lack thereof contained in the cascading effect of government consumer policies; the unfortunate lower income brackets ponder their next meager meal or which one to skip to make ends meet. The question of whether we are paid enough remains unanswered. One thing's for sure though, the impending doom of hikes in affordable food and drinks as well as cost of living is here to stay. We shudder at the thought of what prices will be like another mere two years down the road.