Fuel price on the rise.

I just heard from my kakis in Malaysia that fuel price is likely to go up again!

You guys back in Malaysia are so lucky. Here in New Zealand they don't tell you there is an increase in fuel price. No fore warnings, no sms from buddies, no queues at petrol kiosks the night before. You just wake up one morning and go to a petrol kiosk and see new prices displayed and they increase prices as and when the world market prices increase.

When we first arrived, which is only a month ago, petrol was selling for 118.7 cents per litre. Since then, it went up 3 times and down once. Went as high as 133.8 cents per litre and is now hovering at 131.9 cents per litre.

Initially we waited for our tank to empty before filling up the 3 litre Odessey but seeing the fluctuation we fill it up the moment the needle touches a quarter tank of usage.

Here's the thing, despite all this, there is no change in prices of public transportation (I take the train to work daily). The government here does not control price increases in public transportation nor does it control fuel prices sold to the public or industry. Most of the busses in the city and trains run on electricity and 90% of the electricity runs on hydro electric and water is free! At least in Wellington it is free. The price of coffee does not increase in proportion to the increase in fuel price. Roti canai is still sold at $6 and you can get some commodities at below cost if you wait for the right time when they have "specials" on! No one ever protested or even came close to making a comment on the increase.

Now, if it was Malaysia, you will be hearing it all over the radio, TV and newspapers and why the government should step in to control the price or the taxis will have to increase their fares and busses will have to charge more and the fella with a stall under the tree in an abandoned car park who pays no rental will have to increase his price of "ais kosong" for some unknown and unrelated reason, etc etc.

And if it was Indonesia, another kettle of fish, demontrations would start at the ever so famous Bundaran HI in Jakarta. Students will be carrying placards asking Susilo Bambang to step down and there will be major public outcry becasue the population would now be suffering. Yet Jakarta will be congested and on a Friday afternoon, Jalan Sudirman will be a massive carpark! People will still be queuing up to buy fuel guzzling cars like Jaguars!