Up, up and away??

Brace yourself... more hikes coming our way. For days now the papers have been using these phrases a lot... the tariffs may rise. Numbing us down first before firing the salvos. Using psychology to soften the 'anger' that will arise from the rise. When the fuel prices were way up high the other time, the tariffs went up too.. when fuel prices went down... did the tariffs go down? Anyway, if the hike materializes, brace yourself for more hikes.

Meantime, TNB employees benefits have been skyrocketing. It went up by more than 80%! And the CFO had a 100% salary increase. Who pays? The people. We are at the mercy of Tenaga. And Tenaga says there are at the mercies of the IPPs... but as a consumer, I only know this... I paid, then paid more and seems like I may pay more again.

The gahmen is probably testing the waters now... see people's reactions. Fishing for reaction... if silence, then probably they'll increase. If people protest too much, then maybe this exercise will also benefit them in the sense they become the knight in the shining armour for the people.... BTW, Khazanah has a big say in Tenaga I think... so Tenaga technically also belongs to the gahmen. Aiyo! The small pawns in the chess game always kena... when the economy is good... life is slightly better for us but hugely better for those with connections.... when the economy sputters and coughs and life becomes a struggle for your average Fikri, Mullen, Daris and Raju, it's still hugely better for those well-connected flers. Either way, we are screwed!

With the MACC fiasco, one does get kinda despondent. The mockery that has been made and displayed. Stooping so low, taking the people for idiots.... now, more than ever there is a need for the winds of change to blow. Now, more than ever too, we've to watch out for those in power bent on staying in power... desperate people do desperate things....

Footnote (23/07/09): The Cabinet decided to act sensible and not raise the tariffs til end of the year. They've decided play knight in the shining armour. What with the Teoh Beng Hock issue... Royal Commission to be set up. But going by the last 2 Commissions, findings may not stop the exoneration of the guilty ones... and today's paper on the profit of TNB.. it went up 3 times! Still, they want to perah the people's money.... Incidentally, end of the year... watch out of toll rates increase!