Chicken price has gone up (I'm not even going to talk about the rice price!), eggs, milk, vegetables, fish, all up! Even if I sell this old car I still will not be able to cover my expenses for food! How much and how long do you think that RM625 cash will help me?? I'm so sick and tired of hearing them say change your lifestyle! There is nothing more for me to change!

Dear Editor,

I have read so many times about the price increases but so far I feel that nobody actually knows or cares about how much we, the general just below-average and under-average income earners live!

In your papers you had an article on how people manage their income but most of them earned RM3000 on average!

What about me? And those in my shoes??

I am a single parent! I am not a charity case (though it looks like I'm being pushed into that), I have one kid 3 yrs going on 4. My ex-husband doesn't support me with anything! I work in a factory as an assistant officer. My net income is RM1300 per month!

To get to work 7 km away and to send my kid to the babysitter, i have to drive because the public transport only decides to turn up when they feel like it!!!!!!!!! Moreover, to get from my house to my job of only 7 km away, i have to travel on 2 buses that will take me 20 km in all different directions before getting me to work. (What great public transportation we have here!) Just for your information, I live in Seremban; not too far off in the rural area but just about 1 hour's drive to KL. But, we have very crappy public transport services. And I imagine most towns have this same crappy service too!

The 13 year old Wira I drive actually belongs to my brother-in-law. God Bless him, he let me use this car when he bought a new one late last year (an Iswara) so that I can get to work on time.

I live in a rented house of which I pay RM280 a month and my babysitter costs me RM270 a month. My utility bills come up to RM100 and my phone bill around RM80. I had to cancel my credit card which I had from my single and carefree days and now I'm paying for it monthly until the year 2010! RM160 every month! Then, I put money aside for my kid's milk, diapers, food, gas, rice, (all these used to be around RM250 a month) and of course, petrol! I used to spend RM120 for petrol a month. And that would leave me RM40 a month for doctor's fees, and maybe getting a new pair of slippers for my kid or whatever is needed for her. (How I've change my lifestyle! I have not had a hair cut in 2 years! Let me just say I've made changes to my lifestyle, drastic changes from 2 years ago when my ex-husband left!) However, still, I used to get by.

But then came the petrol price increase!

Chicken price has gone up (I'm not even going to talk about the rice price!), eggs, milk, vegetables, fish, all up! Even if I sell this old car I still will not be able to cover my expenses for food! How much and how long do you think that RM625 cash will help me?? I'm so sick and tired of hearing them say change your lifestyle! There is nothing more for me to change!

Unless I skip some meals, maybe my breakfast and my lunch?? But then, what if I get sick? Who will care for my daughter? How do I pay for the doctor? And if I don't go to work (because I'm sick), maybe I may not even have work anymore?? Then who will pay all the expenses? Where will I live? Can the Government give me a house?

Now, when I'm struggling with my income, what about my other friends in this factory whose salaries are RM550 a month. Then, there are 2 women here who are widows with school-going kids! Who have worked as operators for 5 - 8 years here and their salary NET only reaches RM650 a month! Lucky for them, they have their own houses and do not pay rent! Lucky for them too, they either walk or cycle to work. But don't think the price of petrol has not affected them! Because they still have to buy food and clothes and pay for their kids' school bus fares as all have increased! But their income remains the same! So tell me, how can they get the RM625 subsidy??? What is the government going to do for them??

All I hear on the government focused news are how they are trying to find ways to help the civil servants. I'm not saying they do not need help, but, WHAT ABOUT US??? Is anyone doing anything for us or would you all prefer we just die off quietly?? Our income will not be increased, and you can bet because of everything, the company will not increase the salaries for next year as well because they need to cut costs or close shop! Then what will we do??

Do you know that you can get welfare help if your family's income is RM350 and below only? This was what my friends were told and because they have work, they are not entitled to welfare help!

So, can someone explain to US, THE REAL PEOPLE, WHAT THE HELL IS THERE FOR US TO CHANGE??? AND DO NOT TELL US TO GET ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME!!!

I really do want a reply from someone who can really give me good, clear answers. Not some "merry-go-round the bush" answer!

Thank you,
A desperate mother!

There are recent moves to pressure the authorities to have the teaching of the Sciences and Mathematics revert back to Bahasa Melayu from the current use of English. This is indeed a very bad idea and move as such.

There are great advantages, in the usage of English to teach, for the following reasons :-

the original source of all the information and knowedge drawn upon is almost entirely from books/documents prepared in English. It is therefore a sheer waste of rakyat's resources (government people, time and money) to undertake the translation, etc., etc., etc.

upon any student pursuing tertiary education, the reference materials are all usually in English and the students are severely handicapped when they are only familiar with foundational terminology in Bahasa Melayu.

upon moving into the working world (private sector), the language of communication used in the commercial world is English. Here again, the “handicapped” need to work hard to gain competence, if at all they are selected in the interviews. It is most often the Malay who gets left out because the Malay is usually less (or not) competent in the English language as compared to a non-Malay.
The less than competent in English just cannot grasp or participate in commercial/international exhibitions, conferences and business discussions. In fact being poor in English is worse than being “wrongly dressed for the occasion” in the matter of confidence in oneself prior to a meeting or a presentation.
The Malays of the school system before 1970 were at par if not better than their non-Malay classmates, in the use of English in verbal or written communication. There are so very many examples amongst the “senior citizen” retired civil servants or politicians. So many of them are even better than the average citizen of England, Australia or the US, in using the King's (or Queen's whichever) English.

Any senior ranking UMNO politician minister (both present and past) would privately (NOT IN PUBLIC THOUGH ???) agree that a complete working knowledge of English is critically essential.

This is confirmed by no less a personality than Mahathir himself. He had throughout his quest for position, power and domination allowed the position of Bahasa Melayu to be what it had been solely because to downplay Bahasa Melayu's importance would have been politically suicidal. However, when he no longer desired that “station in his life” anymore, he pushed so hard to put back the use of English in teaching particularly in the Sciences and Mathematics. This is admittance of the importance of English and this move of his is now to ensure a better future for the coming generation/s of this country. He has “admitted” he has crippled this nation's younger generations. He, Mahathir, was not denied the benefit of competence in the English language, but he chose and worked to deny his junior countrymen this benefit during his 22years in power and also during the years before his ascension to power. Quite a “criminal” attitude and behaviour. Would you not agree??

in the Law and in legal matters, is not the English version to be the final reference/confirmation. What is the effiency??? Why waste time and money in “duplication” when you cannot duplicate perfectly. More people wastage, time wastage, money wastage and all this at the rakyat's expense, such expenditure more so unnecessary now with food crisis and other yet to come crises impending.

It is said that the rural Malays cannot cope with the change to English. Incidently, I studied at the Royal Military College from 1967 till 1970 and the majority of my Malay friends there, from all over the country, were also from rural areas. Surely the rural then was far more ULU than it is now AND YET these rural Malays could become “best of the best”, so to speak.

Perhaps, the present crop of teachers find it difficult to teach in English, having been groomed in Malay. I do recall that in the early seventies, the teachers then were all groomed in English AND YET worked on it to switch. Surely what was good for the goose should be good for the gander too!!! The benefits today are surely VERY OBVIOUS. The switch in early 70's had NO OBVIOUS BENEFITS, the results of which are clearly seen today.

Surely the use of English to teach the Sciences and Mathematics is the better solution – CONFIRMED BY MAHATHIR AT A POINT IN HIS LIFE (the greatest thing he ever did) WHERE THERE WAS TRULY NO PERSONAL AGENDA OR BENEFIT, BUT A GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE COUNTRY AND ITS FUTURE GENERATION/S. HE DID NOT DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO HANDICAP THE YOUNG AND TO PUT THEM AT A DISADVANTAGE IN A VERY COMPETITIVE WORLD.

The people who do not want this change are those who want an easy way out and want to use pressure tactics to force their way upon the “politician” authorities. CAN WE ALLOW THESE HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE TO FURTHER HANDICAP THE YOUNG AND THE CHILDREN OF OUR BELOVED COUNTRY. These youth/children are the future of this country and will be the ones who make or break the nation.
Surely the RESPONSIBLE ONES WHO LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND ITS YOUTH/CHILDREN CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.

It is possible to start a movement/campaign that puts across the message that if we want a successful “future Malaysia” with an extremely capable young generation, then the TEACHING OF ENGLISH PARTICULARLY IN THE SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS is an absolute necessity.

We must have this “movement” highlight the irresponsibility of those want regression by reverting the teaching of the Sciences and Mathematics from the “efficient” English back to the “inefficient (global perspective)” Bahasa Melayu. These irresponsible people intend to “handicap” the coming generations

simply because they are plain lazy and are pandering to their own selfish interests. They have nary a concern for the future generations of our country – these future generations who will make Malaysia TRULY BOLEH, TRULY JAGUH ANTARABANGSA AND NOT JAGUH KAMPUNG.

Finally, as the past experience has shown, the greatest losers, I believe will be the Malays, particularly the majority who are not amongst the elitist group. The elite Malays will ensure that their offspring obtain the competence in the English language. The non-Malays “traditionally” too ensure, by their own efforts, that their offspring obtain the competence.

The naked truth is that these “Use Bahasa Melayu” pressure group/s are BETRAYING/DESTROYING THEIR OWN KIND.

Can you, Sir, do something to prevent this “treachery” from succeeding. I do look forward to your kind consideration on this matter and your action thereafter. I thank you, Sir.

- Chandra Kumar