Theoretically speaking, one cannot be both a pauper and a miser at the same time. For if one is already a pauper who has no wealth, one cannot be accused of being frugal or stingy with one's (non-existent) wealth.
- Lilian Leong =D
If he thinks that food is the only thing he ever consumes in life, that he can use buah-buahan (fruits) instead of soap to shower, roti (bread) instead of an umbrella to shelter him from the rain, and sayur (vegetables) instead of phone credits to call home, then he's definitely got a valid point.
One of my colleagues also ridiculed people who kept talking about GST. After paying an additional 60 cents for her plate of noodles at a restaurant, she says, "I do not understand why everyone kicks a fuss about GST. Come on, it's just an extra 60 cents here, 80 cents there." My Chinese blood almost sprayed out like a fountain above my head as I thought to myself, "60 cents extra is equivalent to a glass of Chinese tea. 10 rounds of this additional 60 cents (for tax alone) is enough to get me a big plate of chicken rice."
About 3 weeks ago, we had Yong Tau Foo at the usual place and lo and behold, we discovered that the price has gone up to RM1.40 each piece. Never have I imagined that I would live to see the day when I will pay RM1.40 for a piece of Yong Tau Foo. We have yet to return to the restaurant since ...
Friends and colleagues who are more well-versed in the Malaysian economy say that there is at least one good thing about GST: "Now EVERYONE has to pay taxes. No one can evade anymore."
My economically-ignorant response? "Yeah, right but at the EXPENSE of the rest of us who have ALREADY been paying taxes all these while? Isn't that a form of punishment for the common rakyat? Don't you realize that on top of my income tax, I am also paying for this new tax?!!" And to think that there are ministers and all who say that GST will NOT have significant or even ANY impact on the people. Seriously, is thy skull hollow? Do the loose screws in thy head rattle each time thou shakest thy head?
I cannot point a gun to these people's forehead and force them to say that GST has an adverse effect on most Malaysians but I can certainly say that as an ordinary Malaysian, I have been greatly burdened by this new tax. For one thing, it has made me much more stingy with the little that I have. Kindly allow me to illustrate:
With the increase in prices, I have to constantly remind myself to be extra cautious when purchasing items. To begin with, I have always been very frugal (for the lack of a more positive term) with money. Perhaps it is my upbringing. Perhaps it is in my blood. But then again, perhaps the greatest impact I had was when my parents gave me 50 cents pocket allowance on the very first day of school and accompanied me while I purchased an ice-cream for 20 cents, a packet of kacang puteh for another 10 cents and was told to put the other 20 cents aside for savings. At the tender age of 7, I had been conditioned to calculate the price of each item I purchased and not to use all the money I had in hand.
As a result of this habit, I often torture my clothes, shoes, handbags etc. to its very last breath. Some people will immediately put these things into the dumpster the moment they detect the very first tear or hole. I, on the other hand, will pretend to be on the lookout for a new piece or a new pair while I keep using these till they no longer look presentable in public, all the while bearing in mind that other people's idea of what is presentable may be very far from mine.
One funny mishap occurred one fine day when thoughts of GST took over and I decided to stretch the lifespan of my poor walking shoes.
It has been said that "boots are made for walking." This is not true in my case. Given my extra weight, anything that goes under my sole is made for torture. You see, despite my gigantic stature, I actually enjoy walking. I always find it to be a very therapeutic process. I simply love the freedom to take off any time I want to instead of waiting for the bus or for rides. Not being subjected to the traffic enables me to calculate my ETA much more accurately than the present GPS or WAZE. But I guess the thing I love most is the fact that I am able to think and ponder on the deeper, philosophical issues of life (such as the effects of GST on my purchasing power) as I walk.
On one such day, I noticed that my right shoe was slightly torn. No, to be honest, I had noticed that tear two weeks prior to that but I had not found the perfect pair to replace this faithful one.
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| The sole had literally fallen off and my right pinky was peeping from the small tear |
I looked at my pinky peeping through the small tear on my right shoe and thought it should still be able to bring me back to office, at least. After walking past Bukit Bintang, I noticed that my shoe had started to wag its tongue. I looked down and noticed for the very first time that the sole was slowly coming off. I looked around and realized that my best bet was to get a replacement pair at Berjaya Times Square and even then, it was a few hundred metres away. I limped all the way to the entrance of the complex before it dawned upon me that I still have to walk to the shoe store. I was not even sure which floors I should go to.
I had to perform hip hop glides with my right foot as I dragged my broken shoe along. I managed to enter into a few shops but the expensive ones were way too costly, plus they were not exactly what I was looking for. Any sane person (living in the pre-GST era) would have just grabbed a pair of shoes, no matter how inferior or distasteful it may seem, to replace the current torn one. Anyone, that is, but me. I stubbornly dragged my foot from one floor to another, searching for just the right pair. I kept telling myself that I can still make it to one more shop. The complex is so large that I am sure there is a perfect pair just waiting for me somewhere up there. Then I was suddenly reminded of the joke about a woman who goes shopping for a husband, and moved about from one floor to another ... only to end up with nothing.
You could say I was frugal. I wouldn't blame you if you had called me a miser. Some will say that I was just being environmentally-friendly by not purchasing things that I did not like and would not wear again. Others may think that I am a very determined and persistent woman. People who are less sensitive will prefer the word stubborn. Whatever you may call me, the reality is this: the sole of my right shoe had really given way for good.
In the end, I had to settle for an RM20 pair of slippers which was a bit too bling-bling for my taste but was not too bad. After all, the price was GST exempted. =)
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| RM20 slippers from Berjaya Times Square |
I have always been a miser even in the pre-GST era. Now that GST is in place, I am forced to be even more frugal than usual. I can envision myself encountering more of such episodes in future.
Let's face it, the prices of things have gone up tremendously. One of my colleagues made a very true observation when he said that
it's only in Malaysia where millionaires do not get to live the life of a millionaire. In fact, one has to be a millionaire to be considered the middle class in Malaysia.
That was when another fellow lecturer remarked, "Then I must be the hardcore poor." I should just jump into the bandwagon and declare myself a pauper while I wait for cash assistance from the government. After all, isn't that what all these GST collection is supposedly for?
