PEMANDU, a government think tank led by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala tasked with formulating proposals to reduce the country’s government subsidy budget has recommended a petrol price hike of 15 sen for RON95 and 10 sen for diesel.
This is the petrol price hike schedule which we’ll be looking at, based on a crude oil forecast of US$73.06 per barrel in 2011 and the region of between US$79.41 to US$94.52 per barrel between 2013 and 2015.
■Current 2010 Price – RM1.80 per liter RON95
■Q3/Q4 2010 Price Hike – RM1.95 per liter RON95
■2011 Price Hike – RM2.16 per liter RON95 (broken into 2 hikes, once per 6 months)
■2012 Price Hike – RM2.20 per liter RON95
■2013 Price Hike – RM2.34 per liter RON95
■2014 Price Hike – RM2.52 per liter RON95
■2015 Price Hike – RM2.60 per liter RON95
These are just the proposed hikes for RON95. RON97 was not mentioned in the recommendations, which indicates that the government is further decreasing priority on RON97 subsidies. We could see a price of way over RM3 per liter for RON97 by 2015.
Not only that, the proposal recommends that the government renegotiate the PLUS toll concession contract this year and the LDP contract by 2013, then all toll concession agreements must proceed without any subsidies, resulting in a toll hike of between 10% to 67% depending on the highway, distance, etc from this year onwards.
For those dreaming of a future of driving electric cars, electricity tariffs are to be untouched for those using less than 200 kWh for this year. However gas prices are proposed to be increased by RM3/MMBTU every 6 months, which will translate to an electricity increased of 1.6 sen/kWh every 6 months. If we take the Nissan Leaf’s 24kWh battery as an example, that’s a RM0.38 hike per full charge for the Nissan Leaf every 6 months. LPG, which is priced at RM24.50 has been proposed to be hiked to RM27 with a 20% price increase every year.
The proposal also spells out a “mitigation plan” which involves giving cash rebates of 126 ringgit for owners of cars with engines smaller than 1,000cc in capacity, and 54 ringgit for owners of small motorcycles. My reference source doesn’t mention of this is one time, monthly, or yearly. There is also a proposal for a 20% discount on toll charges for frequent users and a cash rebate of RM20 for anyone with a Malaysian IC – not sure what this cash rebate is for but I’m assuming it’s for fuel?
According to PEMANDU this will save the government about 3 billion ringgit this year, 14 billion ringgit next year, 21 billion ringgit in 2012, 29.5 billion ringgit in 2013 and 35 billion ringgit in 2014. These plans are yet to be approved by the government.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
THOMAS CUP OOOH..THOMAS CUP..
After 18 years of waiting for a Thomas Cup glory, and ended up with more waiting after a heart-breaking defeat in the ongoing championship here, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should now take a bold step and thrust younger players to the forefront in place of an ageing line up.
Obviously Malaysia cannot depend forever on Datuk Lee Chong Wei, aged 28, Wong Choong Hann, 33, and Muhd Hafiz Hashim, 28.
With the exception of Choong Hann, who has said that this would be his last Thomas Cup, can Malaysia continue to depend on Chong Wei and Muhd Hafiz, who would be 30 in the 2012 Thomas Cup?
The very decision to include Choong Hann -- who made his sixth appearance in the tournament -- shows the dire situation Malaysia is in: that the country severely lack singles players of high calibre.
Singles chief coach Rashid Sidek said he was aware that age was catching up on national shuttlers, especially singles players.
"We have no choice but to develop the younger players, and to develop them fast, to fill the void in the main line up," he said.
Choong Hann himself said he wanted to see new players in the line up because Malaysia could not continue to rely on "old horses."
Malaysia do have several players who have shown potentials and ability to compete in high-level tournament.
Loh Wei Sheng, Zulfadli Zulkifli, Mohd Syawal Ismail, Misbun Ramdhan Misbun, Liew Darren, Chong Wei Feng and Mohd Arif Latiff are among some of them who can be polished to take over from the seniors.
In the doubles, the pair of Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng emerges to be among the most promising following their victory in the World Junior Badminton in Guadalajara, Mexico last month.
Ironically, almost all of these players are aged 18 -- having been born in the year Malaysia tasted the Thomas Cup glory -- and on their way to reaching their primes if only they had the opportunity to compete in high-level tournaments.
Malaysia started their 2010 Thomas Cup campaign by winning 5-0 after their Group B opponents Nigeria failed to show up due to flight problems.
In the tussle for the top group finisher, favourite Malaysia lost 2-3 to Japan.
Chong Wei won 21-12, 21-13 against Kenichi Tago while top doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong beat Noriyasu Hirata-Hirokatsu Hashimoto 21-13, 21-17.
However, Choong Hann lost 17-21, 18-21 to Sho Sasaki, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif lost 15-21, 12-21 to Kenichi Hayakawa-Kenta Kazuno and 2003 All England champion Muhd Hafiz Hashim went down to Shoji Sato 10-21, 21-14, 18-21.
In the semi-final clash against Denmark, Malaysia were struggling all the way before scrapping through with a 3-2 score.
Chong Wei beat Peter Hoeg Gade 21-17, 21-17, Koo-Tan triumphed over Carsten Mogensen-Mathias Boe 21-17, 21-19 but Choong Hann lost 20-22, 21-16, 18-21 to Jan O Jorgensen while Mohd Zakry-Hoon Tien How went down to 2010 All England champion Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen 26-24, 12-21, 19-21.
It was fortunate that Muhd Hafiz was in his element and beat Joachim Persson 21-12, 21-10 to set Malaysia's semi-final clash against China.
Alas, Chong Wei lost to bogeyman Lin Dan 17-21, 8-21, Koo-Tan to Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng 15-21, 10-21 and Choong Hann to Chen Jin 16-21, 7-21.
The time has cone for Malaysia to wake up. We should face the fact that China are far away from us. Invest what we could, but there mist e the return on iur next Thomas Cup challenge. Go Malaysia..
Obviously Malaysia cannot depend forever on Datuk Lee Chong Wei, aged 28, Wong Choong Hann, 33, and Muhd Hafiz Hashim, 28.
With the exception of Choong Hann, who has said that this would be his last Thomas Cup, can Malaysia continue to depend on Chong Wei and Muhd Hafiz, who would be 30 in the 2012 Thomas Cup?
The very decision to include Choong Hann -- who made his sixth appearance in the tournament -- shows the dire situation Malaysia is in: that the country severely lack singles players of high calibre.
Singles chief coach Rashid Sidek said he was aware that age was catching up on national shuttlers, especially singles players.
"We have no choice but to develop the younger players, and to develop them fast, to fill the void in the main line up," he said.
Choong Hann himself said he wanted to see new players in the line up because Malaysia could not continue to rely on "old horses."
Malaysia do have several players who have shown potentials and ability to compete in high-level tournament.
Loh Wei Sheng, Zulfadli Zulkifli, Mohd Syawal Ismail, Misbun Ramdhan Misbun, Liew Darren, Chong Wei Feng and Mohd Arif Latiff are among some of them who can be polished to take over from the seniors.
In the doubles, the pair of Ow Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng emerges to be among the most promising following their victory in the World Junior Badminton in Guadalajara, Mexico last month.
Ironically, almost all of these players are aged 18 -- having been born in the year Malaysia tasted the Thomas Cup glory -- and on their way to reaching their primes if only they had the opportunity to compete in high-level tournaments.
Malaysia started their 2010 Thomas Cup campaign by winning 5-0 after their Group B opponents Nigeria failed to show up due to flight problems.
In the tussle for the top group finisher, favourite Malaysia lost 2-3 to Japan.
Chong Wei won 21-12, 21-13 against Kenichi Tago while top doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong beat Noriyasu Hirata-Hirokatsu Hashimoto 21-13, 21-17.
However, Choong Hann lost 17-21, 18-21 to Sho Sasaki, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif lost 15-21, 12-21 to Kenichi Hayakawa-Kenta Kazuno and 2003 All England champion Muhd Hafiz Hashim went down to Shoji Sato 10-21, 21-14, 18-21.
In the semi-final clash against Denmark, Malaysia were struggling all the way before scrapping through with a 3-2 score.
Chong Wei beat Peter Hoeg Gade 21-17, 21-17, Koo-Tan triumphed over Carsten Mogensen-Mathias Boe 21-17, 21-19 but Choong Hann lost 20-22, 21-16, 18-21 to Jan O Jorgensen while Mohd Zakry-Hoon Tien How went down to 2010 All England champion Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen 26-24, 12-21, 19-21.
It was fortunate that Muhd Hafiz was in his element and beat Joachim Persson 21-12, 21-10 to set Malaysia's semi-final clash against China.
Alas, Chong Wei lost to bogeyman Lin Dan 17-21, 8-21, Koo-Tan to Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng 15-21, 10-21 and Choong Hann to Chen Jin 16-21, 7-21.
The time has cone for Malaysia to wake up. We should face the fact that China are far away from us. Invest what we could, but there mist e the return on iur next Thomas Cup challenge. Go Malaysia..
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