Exit Levy : RM20 delayed since June, now August go ahead ?
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Extract from the New Straits Times ::
Exit levy: More bane than boon for Johor?
23 Jul 2006
Ravi Nambiar
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JOHOR BARU: The RM20 exit levy on foreign cars, expected to come into effect next month to defray petrol and fuel subsidies, could be a double- edged sword. The losers will be Malaysians and the economy on this side of the Causeway.
The move has not gone down well in Johor due to its far-reaching implications on the retail, hospitality and property sectors. Visitors from across the border, including Malaysians working there and driving Singapore-registered cars, contribute significantly to the local economy.
It is a complete reversal of the situation in the north, where owners of Thai-registered vehicles enter the country primarily to top up their empty tanks with subsidised fuel.
But buying fuel is probably the last thing on the minds of the visitors from Woodlands, who cross into Johor Baru daily. They donÂ’t have to because their tanks are nearly full when they cross the Causeway or the Second Link.
It is mandatory since February 1991 for Singapore citizens and permanent residents to have their fuel tanks three-quarters full before they drive into Malaysia. This started with the half-tank petrol regulation in 1989, and the move was intended to stop Singapore motorists from giving business to petrol kiosks in Johor.
Those who breach the rule are liable to a S$500 (RM1,400) fine.
Hence, the contention that Malaysia is being robbed of subsidised fuel by Singaporean motorists holds no water.
It is estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 Singapore-registered cars cross the border every day, and the majority of them are Malaysian-owned. The Malaysian owners are permanent residents of Singapore. They live in Johor Baru and cross the Causeway daily to work in Singapore.
Under Singapore law, a PR holder cannot drive a foreign car. Hence, the visibly high presence of Singapore cars on Johor roads.
Admittedly, they contribute to the daily traffic snarls and the squeeze for parking space in the city. But the upside is that they spend their disposable income in Johor, and are welcomed by local businesses.
They are a major contributor to the local economy as they buy or rent houses and spend a sizeable portion of their wages on shopping and entertainment. Because they are paid in Singapore dollars, they are also less susceptible to the ups and down of the Malaysian economy and are, therefore, a stabilising factor for local businesses.
Like it or not, the Johor economy is heavily dependent on Singapore patronage and the fear is that the exit levy, if imposed, could result in these PRs moving to Singapore.
This prospect is real because there would be no savings to be made for these Malaysian workers, and their position is made worse by the daily traffic crawl at the Causeway.
The levy could also be an irritant for Singaporean day-trippers who frequent Johor Baru. They are price-sensitive and even a mere RM20 for a car load of them could put them off from making the trip.
And this could hurt Johor Baru badly.
Statistics showed that some 23,500 Singaporeans visit the city every day, with the Causeway being the main entry point. These visitors spend some RM5.3 million daily.
Last year, at the height of the so-called "crime wave" in Johor Baru, an estimated one million Singaporeans cancelled their trips, and the business sector lost about RM225 million in potential earnings.
With that kind of money at stake, the levy could be a case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. -
i wouldn't say they (msian govt) will not go ahead wif the rm20 "levy". but i know the johorians will definitely not back down from voicing out their displeasures due to decreasing businesses from across the straits.
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I'm not M'sian but I fully understand the exit levy, especially for S'pore cars who go to JB for cheap pertol. The M'sian govt spends billions each month to subsidize pertrol, I suppose to make it easier for M'sian pockets. In this case, S'poreans are not supposed to 'profit' from this.
But being the selfish S'porean like the rest of you, I will miss going to JB for cheap pertrol.... -
RM5.3 million daily revenue for the Southern State of Malaysia, will simply shrink or evaporate if the exit levy of RM20 is imposed, as the hard pressed Singaporeans will surely cut down on their trips into the southern Malaysian State of Johor.
"Statistics showed that some 23,500 Singaporeans visit the city every day, with the Causeway being the main entry point.
These visitors spend some RM5.3 million daily."
The cheaper priced services, entertainment, household products and fresh food produce (those which are not banned from being imported) in Johor, will no longer look attractive, as the RM20 levy will further reduce the benefit to be gained from the import limit of S$100 imposed by the Singapore Customs.
This will be a huge trade-off loss simply to gain RM20 from every car driven by the 23,500 Singaporean visitors.
It will be foolishness on a grand scale to implement the levy, if one consider the small amount of subsidy lost through the sale of a small volume of petrol to fill the remaining quarter-tank from every car driven by the 23,500 daily Singaporean visitors.
The tax on the RM5.3 million daily revenue will more then sufficiently cover for the subsidy on whatever amount of petrol purchased by Singporeans.
It will be a release of "pent up anxiety" when the Malaysian Authority decide to cancel the levy, and more Singaporeans will definitely swarm into Johor when such an announcement is made.
This will lead to a mini-boom, an upsurge of economic activity, and perhaps revenue in excess of the present RM5.3 Million collected daily. -
Originally posted by blueheeler:
read underline >>>
[b]I'm not M'sian but I fully understand the exit levy, especially for S'pore cars who go to JB for cheap pertol. The M'sian govt spends billions each month to subsidize pertrol, I suppose to make it easier for M'sian pockets. In this case, S'poreans are not supposed to 'profit' from this.
But being the selfish S'porean like the rest of you, I will miss going to JB for cheap pertrol....[/b]
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Here I pay S$ 1.56 per lit, that is RM3.59. In JB how much do you pay RM1.93? If it is, you save RM1.66 per lit. For one quarter tank you pump 14 lit, saving RM23!! Don't forget you need to drive to JB, using another 5 lits of petrol? Its never a reason for anybody to go JB just for petrol, and so there is nothing to miss.Originally posted by blueheeler:I'm not M'sian but I fully understand the exit levy, especially for S'pore cars who go to JB for cheap pertol. The M'sian govt spends billions each month to subsidize pertrol, I suppose to make it easier for M'sian pockets. In this case, S'poreans are not supposed to 'profit' from this.
But being the selfish S'porean like the rest of you, I will miss going to JB for cheap pertrol....
Don't know why you say S'porean are selfish, or is it just you.
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cheaper products? think again...they're consumables are slightly more expensive than in singapore, electrical more expensive, clothes being 1 or more generation backwards than singapore...just take a look at the new jusco in jb.
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"Electricity" or "Electrical" ???Originally posted by tiggersgd:cheaper products? think again...they're consumables are slightly more expensive than in singapore, electrical more expensive, clothes being 1 or more generation backwards than singapore...just take a look at the new jusco in jb.
Malaysia's Electricity Tariff at 21.8 sen per kWh (kiloWatt hour)
Singapore's Electricity Tariff at 21.02 cents per kWh
Electrical product - Floor Standing Fan - Made in Malaysia :
At JUSCO - Malaysia selling price - RM26.00
At NTUC - Singapore selling price - SGD28.00
4-way gang multi-point socket extension
At Giant - Malaysia selling price - RM19.00
At Mustapha or NTUC - selling price - SGD24.00
Bottle Pure Water - bottled in Malaysia :
At Giant or Jusco - 1 litre - 90sen each
At Mustapha or NTUC Fairprice - 1 litre - 90cents each
Large Apple Fuji - (imported from China)
At Giant or Jusco - 1 piece - 90 sen each
At NTUC Fairprice - 1 piece - 60 cents each
"Pirates of the Carribean" - Movie Ticket
At JUSCO - 1 Adult Ticket - RM 8.00 weekday RM 9.00 weekend
At SGP Cinemas - 1 Adult - SGD 8.00 weekday SGD 9.00 weekend
Pop-corn and drink at the Movie House
At JUSCO - 1 set - regular - RM 7.00
At SGP Cinema - same size - SGD 6.00
Seafood 5 dishes PLUS 3 large bottle Heinekan for group of 5 persons
At 3-storey Seafood Restaurant - RM 280.00
At any East Coast or Geylang Road Seafood Restaurant - SGD320.00
Hair cut-wash
JB Saloon - Adult - RM15.00
SGP Saloon - Adult SGD10.00 cut only
Car Wash - Vacuum
At Auto-shine outlet - RM8.00 per 4-door saloon (no MPV)
At any SGP station - RM6.00 (no vacuum)
SHELL V-POWER
Malaysia pump rate : RM 2.15 per litre
SGP pump rate : SGD1.71 per litre (without discount)
Click this reference - "Petrol Prices in Singapore" for a comparison of Singapore petrol prices with our neighbors and the World
The Singapore prices shown above may need correction. -
Originally posted by Atobe:
quality? pls...even maids are better (in terms of education and so on) in singapore than in malaysia. i'm not bragging but take a serious hard look and u will see what are differences.
"Electricity" or "Electrical" ???
Malaysia's Electricity Tariff at 21.8 sen per kWh (kiloWatt hour)
Singapore's Electricity Tariff at 21.02 cents per kWh
[b]Electrical product - Floor Standing Fan - Made in Malaysia :
At JUSCO - Malaysia selling price - RM26.00
At NTUC - Singapore selling price - SGD28.00
4-way gang multi-point socket extension
At Giant - Malaysia selling price - RM19.00
At Mustapha or NTUC - selling price - SGD24.00
Bottle Pure Water - bottled in Malaysia :
At Giant or Jusco - 1 litre - 90sen each
At Mustapha or NTUC Fairprice - 1 litre - 90cents each
Large Apple Fuji - (imported from China)
At Giant or Jusco - 1 piece - 90 sen each
At NTUC Fairprice - 1 piece - 60 cents each
"Pirates of the Carribean" - Movie Ticket
At JUSCO - 1 Adult Ticket - RM 8.00 weekday RM 9.00 weekend
At SGP Cinemas - 1 Adult - SGD 8.00 weekday SGD 9.00 weekend
Pop-corn and drink at the Movie House
At JUSCO - 1 set - regular - RM 7.00
At SGP Cinema - same size - SGD 6.00
Seafood 5 dishes PLUS 3 large bottle Heinekan for group of 5 persons
At 3-storey Seafood Restaurant - RM 280.00
At any East Coast or Geylang Road Seafood Restaurant - SGD320.00
Hair cut-wash
JB Saloon - Adult - RM15.00
SGP Saloon - Adult SGD10.00 cut only
Car Wash - Vacuum
At Auto-shine outlet - RM8.00 per 4-door saloon (no MPV)
At any SGP station - RM6.00 (no vacuum)
SHELL V-POWER
Malaysia pump rate : RM 2.15 per litre
SGP pump rate : SGD1.71 per litre (without discount)
Click this reference - "Petrol Prices in Singapore" for a comparison of Singapore petrol prices with our neighbors and the World
The Singapore prices shown above may need correction.
[/b] -
in the end the Malaysians will be the losers.
i believe they will U-turn this decision in no time. -
Atobe, need I remind you of the wages here and JB???
That's why there's this phrase, here earn here spend, there earn there spend...
Imported Cars there is more ex than here, same goes to imported foodstuff -
Even the water, your theory sounds as if SG is the seller, KL is the buyer
Water supply, to any govt is as if money drop from heaven... Dr M buey siong with the 2 sen want to increase it though it's not allowed, he insist what MM Lee said of that 60 sen should be counted though it was never became black and white... Dun want, SG goes into desalinsation and NEWater, by then KL wun get a single cent at all
Very simple, SG is the buyer... There can only be a willing buyer willing seller basis... -
Originally posted by tiggersgd:
Are you sure about the "arrogantly laced insinuations" you are making about the Malaysian "Quality problem" ?
quality? pls...even maids are better (in terms of education and so on) in singapore than in malaysia. i'm not bragging but take a serious hard look and u will see what are differences.
Do you realise the number of our Cabinet Ministers, MPs, and Senior Civil Servants - some as far back as the founding fathers of Singapore - are born in Malaysia, receiving their education in Malaysia before being accepted into NUS, and were able to excell in their chosen studies over Singaporeans in the same course ?
The most recent announcement had the present Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong as having his birthplace as Ipoh.
Sometimes a little humility helps in a reality check of who we are as humans, as a community, as a nation. -
Originally posted by sbst275:
Yes - "earn here and spend here " - will it surprise you that with our high salary and superior exchange rate, we can only afford to live in HDB flats - which require us to struggle for 20 years to settle the mortgage, at the end which we have nothing left for retirement.
Atobe, need I remind you of the wages here and JB???
That's why there's this phrase, here earn here spend, there earn there spend...
Imported Cars there is more ex than here, same goes to imported foodstuff
This will require us to "earn here" in Singapore, and "spend there" in Johor Bahru, so as to lower our cost of living.
"earning there and spending.... "
With their "meagre" wages, and inferior exchange rates - the Malaysian parents seems to have a very creative ability to overcome the discrimination of their education system by sending their children to overseas institutions of higher learning, and yet still able to settle their mortgages for landed properties, and prepare for old age.
With the lifting of tariff protection for locally produced Malaysian cars, there are now more imported European, Japanese and Korean cars on Malaysian roads, and with the retail prices quite close to Singapore.
How should we explain these anomalies with the supposedly lower spending power of the wages earned in Malaysia ?
It must be sheer incompetence for the managers of the Malaysian CarreFours, Jusco, and Giant supermarkets to be lining their shelves with large stock of imported foodstuff, if Malaysians cannot afford to buy these items, or " if the prices are higher there" and making it prohibitive for purchases to be made.
Yet the Malaysian supermarkets offer a large stock and varied range of imported wine, fruits, meat, canned products, sauces, preservatives, condiments, and from various countries in Asia, Europe and the USA.
This surprising situation is common throughout Peninsula Malaysia - from Penang, through Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and Johor Bahru. The Supermarkets are also bringing these imported food and beverages to small towns such as Seremban, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kulai, Kota Tinggi.
With all these surprising anomalies in Malaysia that have contradicted the often repeated local propaganda about the prosperity that can be bought with the strength of the Singapore Dollar, do you think any reminders are needed about the difference in wages here and JB ? -
Originally posted by sbst275:
I am not so sure with the route you have taken - when reading my last post that you have made reference to - and arrive at a conclusion that "SG is the seller, KL is the buyer".
Even the water, your theory sounds as if SG is the seller, KL is the buyer
Water supply, to any govt is as if money drop from heaven... Dr M buey siong with the 2 sen want to increase it though it's not allowed, he insist what MM Lee said of that 60 sen should be counted though it was never became black and white... Dun want, SG goes into desalinsation and NEWater, by then KL wun get a single cent at all
Very simple, SG is the buyer... There can only be a willing buyer willing seller basis...
My previous post had merely shown a list of price comparison of selected goods and services for the benefit of tiggersgd.
With regards to the "water issue" - all that was posted concerns a ONE Litre bottle of pure water - (actually it should be corrected to be 1.5 litre) - bottled in Malaysia, is sold in Malaysian Supermarkets at 90sen per bottle; while NTUC had also on their shelves similar Malaysian bottled pure water being retailed at 90cents per bottle.
From this alone, should we not enquire from NTUC if they are making exorbitant profit, if the same bottled water from Malaysia can be sold at such a wide disparity of pricing ?
This "Comparison of Consumer Product Retail Prices" has nothing to do with the scrap that Dr M created with the Singapore Government - concerning the long term contracted price for raw water supply to Singapore.
"SGP the seller, KL the buyer" ??????? -
now u want to talk abt education of cabinet ministers? actually if they have so high a standard in education, y bother to shift over to NUS for their "final" education route?Originally posted by Atobe:Are you sure about the "arrogantly laced insinuations" you are making about the Malaysian "Quality problem" ?
Do you realise the number of our Cabinet Ministers, MPs, and Senior Civil Servants - some as far back as the founding fathers of Singapore - are born in Malaysia, receiving their education in Malaysia before being accepted into NUS, and were able to excell in their chosen studies over Singaporeans in the same course ?
The most recent announcement had the present Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong as having his birthplace as Ipoh.
Sometimes a little humility helps in a reality check of who we are as humans, as a community, as a nation.
y dun u stick to topic proper? perhaps that's ur style...anyway, to answer u plainly:
arrogantly laced insinuations? pls define which part of my reply is of ur accusations? have u any personal experience to even justify that part? i have my own experience and esp when it comes to maid issues. do u?!
as for chief justice being borned in ipoh...what does that mean? it only mean that he is borned in ipoh and chose to work in singapore in his current capacity. i can only say it is gd for singapore and bad for msia. i don't even want to go into details of whether he is a singaporean per se.
humilty? pls, dun read my humility as arrogance bcos it will look bad on you. esp when you have exposed urself in terms of not knowing and understanding quality issues from msia. let me just give you an example of their "quality" > proton series of cars...
where it comes to quality, i pride myself being a singaporean to have gotten better quality products and in all sense am glad that i don't live across the straits so much anymore.
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Originally posted by Atobe:
i'll like to address the issue of NTUC here.
I am not so sure with the route you have taken - when reading my last post that you have made reference to - and arrive at a conclusion that "SG is the seller, KL is the buyer".
My previous post had merely shown a list of price comparison of selected goods and services for the benefit of tiggersgd.
With regards to the "water issue" - all that was posted concerns a ONE Litre bottle of pure water - (actually it should be corrected to be 1.5 litre) - bottled in Malaysia, is sold in Malaysian Supermarkets at [b]90sen per bottle; while NTUC had also on their shelves similar Malaysian bottled pure water being retailed at 90cents per bottle.
From this alone, should we not enquire from NTUC if they are making exorbitant profit, if the same bottled water from Malaysia can be sold at such a wide disparity of pricing ?
This "Comparison of Consumer Product Retail Prices" has nothing to do with the scrap that Dr M created with the Singapore Government - concerning the long term contracted price for raw water supply to Singapore.
"SGP the seller, KL the buyer" ???????
[/b]
first off, u need to understand the exchange rates of both countries. we're on different exchange rates, hello?!
second, msia having the natural resource - water, can at her will and whimper churn out millions of bottles of "mineral" water to her economy. this may in turn be a source of revenue to her...straight off from one of her many waterfalls. 
now what has singapore got to even come close to that? her lastest project - "new"water and of course the traditional tap water.
for NTUC to make a profit, u need to understand that msia companies dun charge singaporean companies and esp if its somewhat singapore govt linked companies the same or equal prices as other companies. in short, msian companies are out to "chop" a hefty price off the singapore companies.
let's take this example: facial tissues
facial tissues in shop n save in singapore is retailing at 4.80 - near 5. the same brand of facial tissues is retailing in JB or even KL at slightly more than doubled that amount but in ringgits...say 9 - 10 plus. so, can we say its cheaper to get stuff over at JB or KL? not forgetting if one decides to buy these gds, one has to carry these back to s'pore. where's the costs for this freight then? thus, let me assure u that it is definitely not worth to get certain stuff in msia anymore...much less to talk abt fuel etc. -
Originally posted by Atobe:
if u were to buy many of the above stated items from NTUC, then u can only blame yourself if u burn a hole in ur pocket. In singapore, if u want cheap stuff, go to those $1 shop, Seng Song, Giant or wherever, they all offer better value for money. (if u are talking about conveinence, those places are definitely nearer to yoour home than JB.)
"Electricity" or "Electrical" ???
Malaysia's Electricity Tariff at 21.8 sen per kWh (kiloWatt hour)
Singapore's Electricity Tariff at 21.02 cents per kWh
[b]Electrical product - Floor Standing Fan - Made in Malaysia :
At JUSCO - Malaysia selling price - RM26.00
At NTUC - Singapore selling price - SGD28.00
4-way gang multi-point socket extension
At Giant - Malaysia selling price - RM19.00
At Mustapha or NTUC - selling price - SGD24.00
Bottle Pure Water - bottled in Malaysia :
At Giant or Jusco - 1 litre - 90sen each
At Mustapha or NTUC Fairprice - 1 litre - 90cents each
Large Apple Fuji - (imported from China)
At Giant or Jusco - 1 piece - 90 sen each
At NTUC Fairprice - 1 piece - 60 cents each
"Pirates of the Carribean" - Movie Ticket
At JUSCO - 1 Adult Ticket - RM 8.00 weekday RM 9.00 weekend
At SGP Cinemas - 1 Adult - SGD 8.00 weekday SGD 9.00 weekend
Pop-corn and drink at the Movie House
At JUSCO - 1 set - regular - RM 7.00
At SGP Cinema - same size - SGD 6.00
Seafood 5 dishes PLUS 3 large bottle Heinekan for group of 5 persons
At 3-storey Seafood Restaurant - RM 280.00
At any East Coast or Geylang Road Seafood Restaurant - SGD320.00
Hair cut-wash
JB Saloon - Adult - RM15.00
SGP Saloon - Adult SGD10.00 cut only
Car Wash - Vacuum
At Auto-shine outlet - RM8.00 per 4-door saloon (no MPV)
At any SGP station - RM6.00 (no vacuum)
SHELL V-POWER
Malaysia pump rate : RM 2.15 per litre
SGP pump rate : SGD1.71 per litre (without discount)
Click this reference - "Petrol Prices in Singapore" for a comparison of Singapore petrol prices with our neighbors and the World
The Singapore prices shown above may need correction.
[/b]
Also, although you are comparing the same kind of product, are you comparing the same brands as well? 4 way plugs, Fans, for example. there are a wide range of products there out in the market. if you are ok with low quality electronics, i bet you can find one that is comparable in price with what u can get in MY (probably MY is still a little cheaper but then i doubt u would want your warranty to be valid in MY instead of SG.) -
atobe, let me just put the electricity issues and perhaps the msian couple retirement plan in perspective.
to understand better, let's just put it that i have a particular property in msia. and with regards to electricity charges, i know for a fact that i can just bring my floor layout of my terrace, bungalow and meet up with the official in charge of my area and tell him that i would like this particular row of electrical points to be charged "fixed" rates/month. how's that for cheaper electrical charges? does ur statistics on electricity in msia still stand?
as for msian couples planning retirement...first off, they can own a landed property provided both couples are working and earning around 10K+ or less per couple rather comfortably. that's the msian standard. look at their newly developed "condo" around JB or KL (i'm stating these 2 areas bcos of high demand and turnover), in JB, one unit (condo) is selling at around 90K ringgit...freehold! what in singapore can u get this? let's talk abt a damasara landed unit, retails around anywhere from 250K to 300++ ringgit for a smaller landed unit. is it possible in singapore? thus, home ownership is so much affordable in msia than in singapore. this translate into earlier if not easier retirement planning for the msian couple than for a singaporean couple.
of course, in between there'll be issues like standard of living and so on...but let's focus on the above and u can see for urself how "easy" it is for a singaporean couple to plan for their retirement in msia and much faster in achievement of that retirement than a msian couple. speaks alot of why msians still want to cross the straits to work in singapore. -
Originally posted by tiggersgd:
now u want to talk abt education of cabinet ministers? actually if they have so high a standard in education, y bother to shift over to NUS for their "final" education route?
y dun u stick to topic proper? perhaps that's ur style...anyway, to answer u plainly:
arrogantly laced insinuations? pls define which part of my reply is of ur accusations? have u any personal experience to even justify that part? i have my own experience and esp when it comes to maid issues. do u?!
Me ?........ talk about education, or did you suddenly bring this up with your maid's education ?
Are you sticking to topic proper - jumping from your first response with "consumables slightly more expensive than in Singapore, electrical more expensive “…. to your "maid's education" being more superior than the Malaysians ?
My response was a reply to your style in meandering from one point of view to another as you try to weave a way out of an argumentative situation that you have created with your preferred prejudicial views about Malaysian Quality.
If it is not about education, what were you alluding to in your last post - concerning "maids in Singapore having better education than in Malaysia" ?Originally posted by tiggersgd:
quality? pls...even maids are better (in terms of education and so on) in singapore than in malaysia. i'm not bragging but take a serious hard look and u will see what are differences.
Either you have cleverly meant some "OTHER" obscure line of thought with such an explicit statement, or else the English Language needs to be re-studied to understand your statement in another way other then what has been so clearly written.
This was brought up as an extension of my response to your insinuation that "your maid's supposed education is far more superior" than the Malaysian.
as for chief justice being borned in ipoh...what does that mean? it only mean that he is borned in ipoh and chose to work in singapore in his current capacity. i can only say it is gd for singapore and bad for msia. i don't even want to go into details of whether he is a singaporean per se.
If the quality of the Malaysian education is as bad as you have alluded, how did the Chief Justice and other Malaysian Students get to be accepted into our NUS ?
Many thanks for your concern to my position, but with an attitude on humility as spelled out by you as it is in a public forum - you will probably have to take a double look at the effect to your own position as viewed by third parties.
humilty? pls, dun read my humility as arrogance bcos it will look bad on you. esp when you have exposed urself in terms of not knowing and understanding quality issues from msia. let me just give you an example of their "quality" > proton series of cars...
where it comes to quality, i pride myself being a singaporean to have gotten better quality products and in all sense am glad that i don't live across the straits so much anymore.
Why laugh at the Malaysian "Proton" series of cars ?
If there is such a quality issue as you have alluded, then the number of Singaporean owners of Proton cars must reflect the ongoing stupidity with the purchase of even the current models that are running on our roads, as well as in UK - where it seems to have been a hit since its first launch.
It seems that beside ordinary Singaporeans buying the Proton cars - despite the Quality issue which you have alluded to, the Singapore GIC is reported to be acquiring a stake in Proton - causing the Malaysian Press to raise questions.
The problem with a hackneyed nationalistic pride - that is laced with arrogance - is that we blindside ourselves to the changing situation in the opposite camp, with the changing events creeping up behind us while we lull ourselves to sleep with misplaced arrogance and prejudiced thinking. -
Originally posted by tiggersgd:
It was a relief that you have brought up the subject of exchange rate - but I am surprised that you did not develop this 'brainwave' further in your follow-on reply to the subject of NTUC purchases from Malaysia but merely digress into the costs of transporting the purchased products into Singapore.
i'll like to address the issue of NTUC here.
first off, u need to understand the exchange rates of both countries. we're on different exchange rates, hello?!
second, msia having the natural resource - water, can at her will and whimper churn out millions of bottles of "mineral" water to her economy. this may in turn be a source of revenue to her...straight off from one of her many waterfalls.
now what has singapore got to even come close to that? her lastest project - "new"water and of course the traditional tap water.
for NTUC to make a profit, u need to understand that msia companies dun charge singaporean companies and esp if its somewhat singapore govt linked companies the same or equal prices as other companies. in short, msian companies are out to "chop" a hefty price off the singapore companies.
let's take this example: facial tissues
facial tissues in shop n save in singapore is retailing at 4.80 - near 5. the same brand of facial tissues is retailing in JB or even KL at slightly more than doubled that amount but in ringgits...say 9 - 10 plus. so, can we say its cheaper to get stuff over at JB or KL? not forgetting if one decides to buy these gds, one has to carry these back to s'pore. where's the costs for this freight then? thus, let me assure u that it is definitely not worth to get certain stuff in msia anymore...much less to talk abt fuel etc.
Yes, Singapore has the advantage of a superior exchange rate over Malaysia - at the current exchange of SGD100.00 to RM231.50; which increases our Purchasing Power when buying Malaysian products.
In response to your digresssing point concerning the free flow of water in Malaysia, did you consider the investments in infrastructure to draw on the "abundant flow of free water" and to process this water before bottling it for sale.
On the Singapore side, we are reducing our dependence of water from Malaysia, and turning to the FREE and abundant supply from the sea with our Reverse Osmosis technologies, as well as the NewWater from the abundant flow of waste water that Singaporeans naturally produce - from the raw stage to the tap (if that is what you mean with your abrupt inclusion of tap water) .
But - are we discussing about the water supply agreement, or about the 1.5litre bottled water - sold in Malaysia for 90sen and in Singapore for 90cents ?
Are you quite certain that Malaysian manufacturers are 'out to "chop" a hefty price off the singapore companies' - when they have to compete for the Singapore orders against supplies from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China ?
Do you seriously believe in your own prejudicial ideas that Malaysian manufacturers will practise politiking in the same manner as their politicians - when attending to business transactions ?
Do you know that a bundle of 10 packs of facial tissue sold at Giant in JB is priced at RM5.80, while the same product is available at Shiong Sing and Mustafa for only S$1.80 ?
A 'premier' pack of 5 boxes of tissues - each containing 200 2-ply sheet - is sold in Malaysian outlets for RM8.60, while the same make is available in the named Singapore outlets at S$3.60.
Toilet rolls packed in 10 rolls per pack, and bundled in 3 packs are retailed in Malaysia for RM24.80, and available at the named Singapore outlets for S$8.40
If you will consider both the Malaysian and Singapore prices are inclusive of profits, how much do you think will be the mark-ups on the Singapore side - considering that our STRONG SINGAPORE DOLLAR will allow us to dictate the price based on our ability to give an assured REGULAR, REPEATED and LARGE BULK ORDERS ?
The same should be applied to that 1.5litre bottle of pure water sold in Malaysia for 90sen and in Singapore for 90 cents - with bulk order that Singapore wholesalers or retailers can purchase with our STRONG SINGAPORE DOLLAR, we should be able to buy in bigger bulk volume than the Malaysian retailer, and hence get a better price from the Malaysian manufacturer.
Some of our retailers have passed on the savings to Singaporeans, while others will capitalise on the lower costs by making a bigger profit.
Dr Goh Keng Swee had initiated the practise of building a strong Singapore Dollar by concentrating in what we can do best, so as to be in a position to buy from Others, those items that we cannot produce any cheaper by ourselves. -
Are you referring to yourself as a 'Property Developer' when bringing "your floor layout of your terrace, bungalow and meet with the official in charge of your area" ?Originally posted by tiggersgd:atobe, let me just put the electricity issues and perhaps the msian couple retirement plan in perspective.
to understand better, let's just put it that i have a particular property in msia. and with regards to electricity charges, i know for a fact that i can just bring my floor layout of my terrace, bungalow and meet up with the official in charge of my area and tell him that i would like this particular row of electrical points to be charged "fixed" rates/month. how's that for cheaper electrical charges? does ur statistics on electricity in msia still stand?
If you are merely referring to the electrical points to be located in specific areas of your FLOOR PLAN of your property - (either a terrace or bungalow unit) - it is unlikely that the official in charge will bother with the internal electrical layout preferences of your home unit.
The official in charge is only interested in delivering the total electrical power - measured in amperes - to your domestic unit, with the entire neighborhood load being determined, and the sub-distribution from the sub-transformer station to the various individual homes.
Now, how do you intend to tie this with the retirement plan of the Malasian couple - as I am uncertain how to read the text posted by you ?
This response is a surprising change in your position towards the Malaysian circumstances, after your attitude towards their 'quality' issue.
as for msian couples planning retirement...first off, they can own a landed property provided both couples are working and earning around 10K+ or less per couple rather comfortably. that's the msian standard. look at their newly developed "condo" around JB or KL (i'm stating these 2 areas bcos of high demand and turnover), in JB, one unit (condo) is selling at around 90K ringgit...freehold! what in singapore can u get this? let's talk abt a damasara landed unit, retails around anywhere from 250K to 300++ ringgit for a smaller landed unit. is it possible in singapore? thus, home ownership is so much affordable in msia than in singapore. this translate into earlier if not easier retirement planning for the msian couple than for a singaporean couple.
of course, in between there'll be issues like standard of living and so on...but let's focus on the above and u can see for urself how "easy" it is for a singaporean couple to plan for their retirement in msia and much faster in achievement of that retirement than a msian couple. speaks alot of why msians still want to cross the straits to work in singapore.
Have you come to a point to accept the 'Malaysian quality' - to the extent of purchasing retirement homes in Malaysia ?
However, you are not wrong in your approach to invest in a landed property in Malaysia - so as to achieve an early retirement plan - with the STRONG SINGAPORE DOLLAR earned from working in Singapore.
Besides the Malaysians, there are also many other foreigners having this plan to earn the highly valued Singapore Dollar for their retirement, and have sought to find employment here in many desparate ways.
Unfortunately, prior to putting the retirement plan into motion, the Singaporean couple will need to spend on accomodation in Singapore en route to seeing their retirement plan coming into fruition; while the Malaysians can commute daily between Malaysia and Singapore.
Will there be sufficient Singapore Dollar left from the monthly wages to plan for retirement, while paying for the present high expenses to live in Singapore ? -
Originally posted by dibilo:
You are correct concerning the NTUC 'not-so-fair pricing' despite their attempt to promote 'FairPrice'.
if u were to buy many of the above stated items from NTUC, then u can only blame yourself if u burn a hole in ur pocket. In singapore, if u want cheap stuff, go to those $1 shop, Seng Song, Giant or wherever, they all offer better value for money. (if u are talking about conveinence, those places are definitely nearer to yoour home than JB.)
Unfortunately, not all items in your "Seng Song" - or even Mustafa - are cheaper than what is available in Malaysia; despite having a strong Singapore Dollar and the ability to buy in bulk purchases by the Singapore Retailers.
This has largely to do with the high cost of the retail properties - either on rental or long term mortgage payments - as well as the high wages paid to the workers in Singapore.
Whatever amount that is saved in lower purchase prices are negated by high rentals, utilities, and wages; and little is passed on to Singaporeans.
Can you get a 5kg pack of detergent in a $1 shop ?
Be realistic, from a basket of 50 items needed for everyday use in Singapore, there are at least 80% of the items priced cheaper in Malaysia than in Singapore.
One trip into JB to purchase these 40 items is not too much of a hassle - especially if you are going into Malaysia for business or entertainment, and pick-up these items for your own needs.
How much different can a 4-way socket extension be - when both are certified by the respective National Safety Board of each country, with both applying the same electrical engineering accreditted standards ?
Also, although you are comparing the same kind of product, are you comparing the same brands as well? 4 way plugs, Fans, for example. there are a wide range of products there out in the market. if you are ok with low quality electronics, i bet you can find one that is comparable in price with what u can get in MY (probably MY is still a little cheaper but then i doubt u would want your warranty to be valid in MY instead of SG.)
Surely, the fans priced between RM19.00 to RM28.00 or S$19.00 to S$28.00 cannot be too different in the respective circumstances ?
Can I realistically expect the quality of a Panasonic or KDK Floor Standing Fan priced at S$130.00 - when I consider similar type fan from lesser known Made in Malaysia brand priced at S$19.00 to S$28.00 ?
Lets have some realistic sanity in our discussion, as too many insane assumptions can misdirect our efforts into insane arguments that lead us to no where.
Obviously, if I were to decide on a RM22.00 Floor Standing Fan, I will be quite happy if it can last through 3 months, and it will be probaby be a sin if the fan should last beyond one year.
Should I be worried about guarantee issues when the product is already a steal ?
I would not buy a refrigerator or a TV set from Malaysia for use in Singapore - as the money paid is larger, and such product will normally have some warranty issue during the first two years. It will be impossible to have the Malaysian technicians to cross the border to attend to any problems, and there is the exclusive market territorial issues between the Malaysian and Singaporean agents or dealerships. -
No need to argue more lah
Malaysia petrol, cooking oil, sugar etc cheap cos at the expense of taxpayers themselves as KL has to subisidise for them... That's why Corp Tax in Malaysia stands at 26%
If you want to carry on, no one is going to bother with your no logic attacking on SG govt -
Ai ya, the seat of the Malaysian Gahment is in KL, RM20 levy collected will go to KL. Johor economy affected, the greatest impact is felt at Johor, not KL ! !
Even if KL is to collect the Revenue Tax from businesses in Johor, it's only a percentage of it, after these "Revenue $" went to many pockets ! !
Thus, KL only want to see instance result ! !