OPINION/LETTERS

I read today paper The Borneo Post www.theborneopost.com page 13 'letters to the Editor'

I'm praise by letter from Mr Tong Ah Tong from Kuching.

Eat out less and bring home-cooked food to office.

"HELP,thing are getting out of control..."This cry races through my mind when I read newspapers reports of prices of goods going up next year.
While we are aleady reeling in high prices,a situation caused by greed,CORRUPTION,incompetence and spiralling world oil prices,we are told to brace for even more expensive goods and services next year.
Howabout that as we move closer to next year?
FOMCA (Federation of Malaysia Consumers Association)adviser Prof.Datuk Hamdan Adnan has advised consmers to prepare mentally for higher prices still and by way of their spending as they face an inevitable situation.
The price of PETROL has risen to double that when the fuel price in the country was reviewed more than a year ago.Don't forget it is now US$100 a barrel.
For now,subsidies keep things under control for at least the remaining duration of this year.
But the Government could accommodate the existing price next rear in view of the steep rise in the world oil prices.
Local transportation will be hit.Alot of areas will be hard hit and the chain effect does not stop until all areas are affected adversely.
What do we do?
Let me help your readers: eat less outside and a
void going to restaurants;bring your own Milo,cofee,or tea;reduce trip to shopping malls;bring meals from home to the office;cut down on overseas trips;drive around less and so on.In other words,tighten up belt and cut corners.
Sill the authorities must remember hat a lot of high prices are not due to fuel price rise but greed and profiteering.Like in coffee-shops for example,prices of beverage s have gone up by 20 sen or more per glass.So,why don't smart we be smart and boycott these places.
It is avicious cycle.Pay rise is not matched by qualitative improvements to life as they are quickly 'eaten up' by high prices.
The authorities must come down had on profiteers.

TONG AH TONG,
Kuching.