Ubah Gaya Hidup to curb inflation

Badawi's economics was the subject of ridicule during his embarassing Election 2008 (Ubah Gaya Hidup) and now he is still offering his only solution for the laymen on how to fight inflation. This type of economics is the only one which the low to average income earners know. A lot of people will probably have to "ubah gaya hidup" by swapping their car to motorbike to bicycle to walking, eat 2 meals a day, drink plenty of water to curb hunger, no new clothes for a few years, eat potatoes instead of rice, plant their own vegetables, ubi, and jagong. Don't go for any trips during holidays. Bring the children to the padang for picnic (roti kosong, butter too expensive now). Maybe have less children... Buy or borrow from friends DVDs to watch as entertainment. Take less sugar, sugar is bad for health. Sleep early, wake up early, go for a walk and exercise in the morning...keeps you healthy. Work harder. Take 2 jobs, no, maybe 3. Get your wife to work as well. Keeps their mind active in this way.

Look at the way he negotiate with the Japanese: "We are developing measures to respond...", "We have to increase productivity and be more competitive....", "We are also seeking cooperation....." Lots of things he wants to do but not yet done....... Ringgit undervalued? No, fully valued...US Treasury wrong. They can say what they want. They are afterall only economists, I know what I am saying. Our Ringgit doesn't go up or down much, so it is fully valued!! We do not intervene, so it is fully valued. I am also Finance Minister of Malaysia, so I know more about our Ringgit than any foreigners.

Saturday May 24, 2008

Change lifestyle to curb inflation

By MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR

TOKYO: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on Malaysians to change their lifestyle to reduce the impact of rising inflation.

The Prime Minister said he would encourage Malaysians to save more and reduce wastage to ease their burden.

“Some people may not think it is important but a change of lifestyle a little bit in times of difficulty is important,” he said in an interview with the Japanese media after attending the Nikkei International Conference here yesterday.

Abdullah was responding to a question on the possible need for a strong ringgit to offset inflationary pressures.

He admitted that Malaysia was facing a lot of difficulties but the Government was implementing aggressive measures.

“We are developing measures to respond to the inflation we are now experiencing. We have to increase productivity and be more competitive.

“We are also seeking cooperation with other countries in strategic areas like food and agriculture,” he added.

Abdullah, who is also Finance Minister, refuted a report by the US Treasury that the ringgit was undervalued.

“Our ringgit has established its true value. We do not intervene to make the ringgit go up or down, it has established a value which we believe to be realistic,” he said.

“There has been no serious fluctuations or volatility,” he added.

The Treasury report issued before last Friday’s market opened said “a persistently large current account surplus coupled with still-low domestic investment” was evidence that the ringgit was undervalued.

Abdullah also said that everyone, including economists, were free to express their opinions about currencies, including the ringgit.

Later, briefing Malaysian journalists accompanying him for his working visit to Japan, the Prime Minister said that during his meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda he spoke on food security and cooperation in agriculture in view of increasing food prices.

“We need to go high-tech where food production is concerned.

“I also said that it would be good if Japan can be involved in the halal food industry, apart from investment in plantation, aquaculture and manufacturing,” he said.

Fukuda, he said, responded positively by encouraging the private sector to participate.