By Dr Sajad Hussein Kamarally
Forget Bank Negara Malaysia. Forget GDP. Forget those inflation charts that sometimes seem to require a PhD to understand.If you really want to know how the Malaysian economy is doing, I have a much simpler KPI:The RM10 Mixed-Rice Index.
Walk into a small restaurant and ask:“Aunty, three dishes and one vegetable… how much?”RM10 We’re still okay.RM12 Time to take out the calculator.RM15= Emergency family meeting:“Let’s just cook at home this week.”
I am not an economist.I am a grandfather, a former journalist, and, for almost 40 years, an unofficial “mixed-rice tester.”Believe me, that plate of mixed rice rarely lies.
Field Report: A Restaurant in PJ, Last Week
I was hungry.I walked into a little restaurant in PJ.I ordered:
“Aunty, chicken, vegetables and a little beef rendang, please.”
She smiled.“RM9, Uncle. Cheap, right?”Inside, I thought:
Wow! Jackpot! Two minutes later, my plate arrived.
Half a portion of rice.The chicken was also rather… “cute.”
And the rendang looked as though it was there merely to let me have a taste.I looked at the plate.
“Aunty… is this a diet portion or a mixed-rice portion?”
I asked politely:“Aunty, is this a new strategy? Lower the price, but lower the portion too?”She immediately gave me a lecture in economics.
“Uncle, chicken has gone up, cooking oil has gone up, gas has gone up, rent has gone up, wages have gone up. Even the lorry that delivers the supplies charges more! I have to do this to attract customers.”
I nodded.Perhaps she was right.Perhaps there was a little drama too.
But one thing I know:If the money in my wallet is getting lighter, the costs behind the counter may be getting heavier.
Who is making the profit?Who is losing?The middleman? The supplier? Transport costs?
I don't know.I only came for lunch!So Who Is Actually Caught in the Middle?
As consumers, we simply want to feed our families without having to sell a kidney.The aunty running the restaurant also wants to pay her rent, her workers and her bills—and keep her little business alive.In the end, both sides are caught in the middle, while prices go up and down like a roller coaster.
Can “Big Brother” Help?
I think it can.Three things,First, Good policies.Reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and make life easier for small traders.Second, Targeted subsidies.Essential items such as chicken, rice and cooking oil should be managed in ways that help consumers without placing an unreasonable burden on small businesses.Third, Real enforcement.If there are parties manipulating prices, go after them. Don't simply squeeze the aunty selling mixed rice.
There Is Also a Silver Lining
Economists may have a thousand charts.I have one plate.
And my plate tells me:Yes, RM10 feels increasingly expensive.
But if we were in London and paid £15 for a similar meal, that could work out to around RM90.
So technically…
We are still the world's mixed-rice champions! Three Messages from Grandpa
Support the aunty.She is also struggling to keep her prices affordable for us. Don't waste food.RM10 today is no longer “small change.” Be grateful.We can still sit down, eat outside, talk and laugh with our families.
So I want to know:What is your Mixed-Rice Index today?
Two dishes + one vegetable = RM how much in your area?
Share it.Let us build our own “people's inflation report”—one plate of mixed rice at a time.Sometimes, we don't need a thousand numbers to understand the economy.
One plate of mixed rice is enough. 🍛
Dr Sajad H Kamarally (sajadhk05@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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