I read something on WhatsApp recently that at first tickled me and then got me thinking. It read, “the poor ask what to eat, rich ask where to eat, while the politicians ask whom shall I eat”.
You should get the drift as the pun intended and we can very well relate this scenario in our own country. Politicians have become a bane to people who elected them.
There have been blasphemous statements made by our high-ranking politicians justifying food prices hitting the roof which did not go down well with the people.
Promises made by the government early this year, that prices of essentials will be controlled, have turned out to be mere lip service and unscrupulousness is leading all the way.
Just weeks ago, Malaysians were enraged by the escalating prices of chicken and it wasn’t before it hit the M40 and B40 groups badly that the issue saw some intervention and the price cap was introduced.
Having said that, the prices of food that rose didn’t come down after that.
The checks and balances are not widespread to punish the culprits and greedy businesses get away without remorse.
Cooking oil and eggs then took the spotlight with high prices that hurt the pockets of many.
These are essential items that will have grave consequences on food prices.
The culprits who were hoarding oil reserved for the less fortunate were tracked and dealt with, but we do not know how widespread this is.
It is saddening that even in times of a food crisis, we have profiteers doing what they do best; cheating, plundering and getting away scot-free.
Inflation is consuming the world over, with stock markets crashing, currencies being devalued driving people and businesses into chaos, and fuel prices hitting new highs of late.
Malaysia is not alone, but that does not mean anything to the man in the street as all he can afford to care about is where the next meal is coming from.
Inflation is often called the mother of major political upheavals and change.
Britain has seen its prime minister calling it quits and the cost-of-living crisis is quoted as one of the five reasons for his resignation.
While British politics is hanging by a tether, inflation in the country has risen sharply to 9.1%.
People expect the government to intervene and when it does not happen, we have casualties in the political domain.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created immense human suffering, but it is also damaging global trade, which will likely impact low-income countries the most, the World Trade Organisation warned.
Rising fuel prices started in 2020, before the war in Ukraine.
In March 2022, a barrel of oil was US$118 (RM522.39) – 38% higher than in January 2022 and 81% up at the same time last year.
Daily oil prices reached a high of US$128 per barrel on March 8, but had fallen to US$104 per barrel by April 1.
For many households across the world, rising inflation poses a significant challenge.
Higher prices can erode the value of real wages and savings, leaving households poorer. But these effects are not felt equally.
Our M40 and B40 households tend to be more vulnerable to high inflation than wealthier households, affecting the composition of their income, assets and consumption baskets.
Hence, to keep our heads above water we have to adopt massive changes to our lifestyle, everything about our daily life has to be lived on calculated spending.
As they say, destiny shapes our ends, but making ends meet is our responsibility.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
