With Budget 2018, the government’s annual fiscal forecast for the country, looming, the rising cost of living is top of mind for many citizens.
It comes as no surprise then that a photo of a simple meal of rice, prawns and squid for two, along with the receipt that totaled RM100 (US$25), has gone viral on Facebook with nearly 1,000 shares. Everyday citizens are baffled as to how two prawns a piece and scant servings of squid could come to RM50 per person. This was not a fancy restaurant, but the plastic tables and chairs type of establishments that we see all over the country.
The meal occurred at Aushol Enterprise, in Kuala Rompin, Pahang.
The photo, uploaded to Facebook page of grievances, road accidents and rempit tricks, We Are Malaysians, garnered mostly comments of disbelief, with many alleging that for the money paid, they should have been served a kilo of prawn.
However, some were more matter of fact, telling others that if you don’t want to pay through the nose, don’t order seafood. Just get the egg and rice.
While this makes perfect logical sense, it raises an interesting point that was echoed today by the Council of Former Elected Representatives. Their deputy president, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sulaiman told Bernama that our concerns with rising cost of living, were actually an issue with a lifestyle of smartphones, celebrity headscarves and Wi-Fi subscriptions.
It seems that these days, prawns, along with your cable package, are a lifestyle.
He added that these so-called modern “musts” should be factored in by the government as “living expenses” – something of a hybrid between the cost of living and lifestyle.
Abdul Rahman went on to say that the rakyat should not expect the government to come to their rescue entirely, and that they themselves should do something to “reduce their burden.”
What does this mean in a world where Wi-Fi is seen as a luxury?
He suggests: “They can do so by enhancing their earning capacity, either through higher productivity, increased efficiency [Ed: being efficient at a job is generally what your employers expect, and not a reason to give you more money] even additional part-time jobs. If possible, they should also try to reduce their expenditure on ‘non-cost of living items’ or at least postpone temporarily the desire to satisfy their ‘wants’.
There you have it Malaysians. 2018: the year we all got a part time job so we can eat a couple prawns.
Reader Interactions