While I was working as a temporary barista in Starbucks before I went to UK, someone told me this. It’s very interesting…
3 friends went to a hotel and rented a room. At the check-in counter, the receptionist said the room rate was $30 for a night. The 3 friends agreed and they each paid $10 for the room.
3 friends X $10 each = $30 for the room
After leaving the counter, the receptionist realised she made a mistake, and that the room rate was only $25 for that night. Therefore, she asked the bellboy to return the $5 which has been over-paid to the 3 friends.
$30 originally paid – $25 actual rate = $5 refund
As the bellboy walked to the room to return the $5, greed sets upon him and he decided to ‘steal’ $2 from the refund of $5 and thus, only $3 were refunded to the 3 friends.
$5 total refund – $2 ‘taken’ by bellboy = $3 refunded to the 3 friends
Are you able to follow? If you can't, scroll up and read again. If you still can't, take out your SPM cert and whichever grade you get for Mathematics, over-write your grade with a capital “F”… stands for F*cked-up.
Back to the story…Those 3 friends happily accepted the $3 and they divided the $3 among themselves. Naturally, each of them got $1 each. Since each of them originally paid $10 for the room, their individual cost is now $9.
$10 paid per person – $1 refunded per person = $9 paid per person
Now that the 3 friends have been refunded $1 each, they each only paid $9 for the room (as shown above). This would mean, the total amount paid by them is $27.
3 friends X $9 each = $27 paid
Since the 3 friends now effectively only paid $27 in total, and the bellboy has ‘stolen’ $2, this would only amount to a total of $29.
$27 paid + $2 ‘stolen’ by bellboy = $29
Now… Ladies and genitalman… the room rate was originally $30 and those 3 friends originally paid $30 (i.e. $10 each). But…$27 paid + $2 ‘stolen’ by bellboy = only $29!
Where is the missing $1?
This is not a trick question.
I am on leave today and woke up to a few sms-es. A few from some liverfools who reiterated Roma’s victory, 2 from my gf fiancé, first one telling me about her ring and the second telling me about the sudden influx of long comments in my GST entry. Woooahhh… as Economist said… since when my blog turned into a mini Malaysia Today?
After reading them, decided to delete a few and still contemplating whether I should delete a few more. What do you all think?
Anyway, had this for breakfast… cheese crackers with “hot and spicy” cheese. Absolutely yummy-licious! That “hot and spicy” cheese was bought by my friend in Amsterdam. Cheese at its best! Thanks KA! 
I just got back from a trip to DBKL, Jalan Raja Laut to pay a traffic summon. For those who are not aware, DBKL is the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council. And you know what? I was quite surprised at the existence of this….
Call me oblivious, but I never know DBKL has a drive through pay-counter. Honestly speaking, I am impressed! The fella at the booth was friendly, but when I wanted to take a picture of him….
“Tangkap gambar boleh?” (May I snap a pic?)
“Untuk apa?” (For what?)
“Masuk blog” (Blog entry)
“Blog! Eh, tak boleh tak boleh…” (Blog! Cannot cannot…)
Well, looks like blog is fearful place to be in.
Basically, there are 2 booths for you to pay, and I think it’s really convenient. How long have this been in operation? Perhaps good law obliging citizen like me who seldom gets summoned will not know about the existence of the drive through pay-counter.
Also, ya’ know when you go to gomen offices to pay bills or renew passport or make MyKad or other things, there will always be a lot of counters, perhaps 20, but probably only 5 or 6 will be operational. The others… they will have the ‘tutup’ aka ‘saya pi minim’ sign. Worse, some are just empty. So that’s like only 25% - 30% counters operational.
But hey… this drive through pay-counter is much more efficient! Out of 2… 1 is operational, that makes 50%! So much higher than the regular gomen offices…. Don’t pway pway! So next time you get a DBKL summon, check them out!
You know the time when you walked into McD or KFC, and you order a combo meal which costs you RM7.90… you’ll end up paying RM8.30. Ya’ know, you have to pay 5% gomen service tax. Ok right? Cause we are all used to it.
Now, imagine you walked into Kedai Kopi What-Fatt-What-Fatt, you order a “Char Kuey Teow” which usually costs RM4, and you end up paying RM4.20? How about that? Do you know it may be happening?
Now, a reader told me today that reading all my ‘serious’ entries made her ‘fall asleep’, she prefers my entries regarding my views on life. Fair enough, but before you fall asleep… imagine all the new blouse, new pants, new bras, new panties that you’re gonna buy may all be subject to tax? Would you like to know more?
Ladies and genitalmen (term stolen from Wingz), the name of the game is Goods and Services Tax (“GST”). Just a brief introduction, the gomen announced some time in Sept 2004 (during the 2005 Budget announcement), that GST will be implemented in this country. The supposed implementation date was 1 Jan 2007.
Why it is not implemented yet? Apa jadi? Well, the gomen announced some time in early 2006 that implementation of GST will be postponed. What’s the reason for this act of generosity? No one knows for sure. And for the sake of being a responsible blogger, I shall not speculate.
Now… the keyword there is ‘postponed’… the gomen didn’t say GST will be abolished. So there will be a time when you and I may need to pay tax for our ‘chee cheong fun’, roti canai, bak kut teh, condoms, vibrators, etc. The million dollar question is of course …. When?
Tax experts have dubbed GST as an ‘efficient tax collection’ tool. Ya’ know, all those fellas who don’t pay every year, those fellas who make money from those ‘cannot-see-light’ activities, all have to pay tax when GST is implemented. I mean… all have to eat roti canai and bak kut teh right? And all have to buy condoms also right?
Jokes aside… what does GST means? GST is a tax levied on ALL goods and services (except those exempted by law). Therefore, to me, GST means more money out of my pocket because every time I spend, I need to pay tax. GST means all those vultures out there who are looking for opportunities to increase prices of their goods will do so at a flash, because they have to pay tax when they buy their raw material. They may be able to able to claim back their ‘input tax’ but that’s too technical to be discussed here. In a nut shell, GST means poorer you and me, unless you are freaking rich already till you don’t care if you have to pay tax when you buy condoms.
Back to the million dollar question… when will GST be implemented? A story was once told about a guy who will treat his gf extra nice when he wanted sex. Basically, before he wanna screw his gf, he has to treat her nicely.
Last year, during the 2007 budget announcement, gomen announced that corporate income tax rate will be reduced from 28% to 27% and subsequently to 26%. Last month, gomen announced that RPGT will be abolished. Can you see any screwing coming? Well… maybe, maybe not.
On a related note, reducing corporate income tax means companies will have more money from tax savings and they are “supposed” to use those savings to pay better salary/bonus to their employees so that the employees can survive GST, if GST is implemented. Well, do you think companies will do that? Hmmm… employers are a different species from the guy that I mentioned earlier. That guy will treat his gf nicely before he screws… as for employers… they just screw us. Period.
On another related note, did you feel pissed when gomen increased toll charges? Every Tom, Dick and Harry and Mary, Jean and Jane were pissed, some even went and protests and shout vote out the gomen la, vote this vote that la. Judging by this, what do you think will happen when all of us have to pay tax for our roti canai, bak kut teh, chapatti and condoms? Who will you vote?
Therefore… perhaps, just perhaps, the gomen will not implement GST until election is over. And since gomen said election will not happen till 2008 or 2009, then I guess we are quite safe la. But… just but… if there is a snap election… get your ass ready for a royal screwing.
How fast does time passes?... very Incredibly fast.
It has already been 3 months since I started this blog, and it has been an incredible journey. I made this blog my new year resolution and I am proud to say I am still keeping to it, with no sign of stopping. I made it a point to “launch” this blog on 1 Jan 2007 and I actually asked Jules to remind me to “launch” my blog. She so willingly complied.
I remember I was very excited when Patrick Teoh dropped me a comment, and a lot of people were wondering if it was the real Patrick Teoh. Well, how many Pat Teoh are there anyway? Then I remember the time when comments started rushing in when I blog about a romantic tale and asked readers to guess the ending. 20 comments for that entry and I was feeling rather ecstatic.
Next, I bumped into the first blog that linked to As Zewt As It Gets… it was Huei’s Dead Boredom Seeking Freedom. Thanks Huei, you didn’t know you were the first eh? By then, I also installed my first html code… the hits counter. Thanks everyone for giving me my 10,000+ hits thus far.
It led to the first time I posted an entry of pictures I took in my everyday life, what an interesting picture indeed. Then I sort of recycled an entry I posted to TheStar earlier regarding Malaysian drivers and it hit a new high with 24 comments. The blogging interest began to take off and I sort of did a series on blogging, talking about time, topic, readership and overall blogging. Thereafter, I had my first tag!
Next, I posted the infamous entry on Chinese and it currently holds the highest record for comments with a total of 74. It prompted me to do a few entries on Chinese and Chinese culture which led to some really intellectual comments, which excites me.
Then I attended the Bloggers Gathering organised by Wingz and it was a very enjoyable time indeed. Managed to meet up with some fellow citizens in the blogosphere and I don’t know why… many people think Zewt is a girl.
Next were the 2 entries I did on top scorers in the SPM and again, it managed to attract some really interesting comments. Co-incidentally enough, one of the readers here is actually a friend of one of the top scorer in the country and he gave his insights on the issue, the view from his side of the world.
It was then that arguably the most significant event of my life took place. It was then my mom suddenly collapsed and left me without a word. It was then that I found out mom was hiding something from us. It was then I learnt so much about mom, and how mom has already planned her departure. I pondered on why mom acted in a certain manner and how successful mom was. It was also the time when my blog hit a phenomenal level of readership, with an average of 336 unique readers during that eventful 8 days.
It was then Nuffnang secured As Zewt As It Gets’ first advertisement. Thank you guys!
I know it may sound like some oscar speech but all these will never be possible without you guys (and gals)… seriously! And oh... I was featured in this blog and Nuraina was kind enough to mention me in her blog which lead to Zewt being mentioned in Malaysia Today. It has only been 3 months, but where do I go from here? Well, let’s just say I will try to keep those interesting entries going… Meanwhile, Happy 3 months old to As Zewt As It Gets!
P/S: That picture was just for kicks… hehe…
I was talking to Politikus, a political blogger the other day. As usual, when you talk to a political blogger, the topic tends to be… well… somewhat political. Was talking about election and some hero calling us bloggers liars and stuff like that when I mentioned the gomen is really giving out lots of goodies… one being the abolishment of Real Property Gains Tax (“RPGT”). Politikus’ reaction was…. “Huh! What is RPGT?”. Well, can't blame Politikus, after all, Politikus graduated with a degree in law and politics, not the usual boring accounting and finance.
For those who are not aware, the gomen announced that RPGT will be abolished effective 1 April 2007 (If I am not mistaken). This means, when you buy and sell property and make a profit, you don’t need to pay tax anymore. Prior to this, you need to.
No need to pay tax ya’ know… don’t pway pway… No tax… Nice or not? Well, nice if you have a lot of property, nice if you are a property tycoon. But for you and I who makes just enough to pay car instalment and housing instalment… by the time we clear our credit card bills, we are already praying hard for next month’s pay… how to be happy at such news?
When the news first came out… wahhhh… everyone was saying… very good oh, sell my house, make some money, no need to pay tax. They talked as though they have 10 or 20 house to sell. I think people shouldn’t be throwing party at the abolishment of RPGT because:
1. You and I don’t have many properties to sell;
2. As an individual, RPGT rate is 0% when you hold a property for more than 5 years, i.e. you and I don’t need to pay any tax if we sell our property after 5 years.
Well, looks like it’s not exactly very good news now huh? Well, the sky is not all dark and gloomy. If you happen to be a super rich dude with very the many properties, then ok la, you can now throw a party to celebrate… make a lot of money no need to pay tax.
If you own a company that holds property(s), then you can also be happy la. This is because corporate property owner needs to pay 5% tax despite holding a particular property for more than 5 years. So companies with property(s) can now do something noble and perhaps give their employees more bonuses. Imagine those property development companies sell a piece of land and make RM10m (it’s possible by the way)… that’s like RM500k worth of tax saved! But will such companies treat their employees in such a nice manner?
Another fella which I think (just think only la) will benefit from this are the famous toll concessionaires. You know la… they are very pitiful ya’ know, build toll for us, and then they claim they made losses, they claim they spend a lot of money repairing those highways, and then they have ungrateful toll users protesting against toll hikes… really not easy to be toll concessionaires. Since so difficult to be toll concessionaires, perhaps they might decide to dispose those highways. And if (just if) they do… then no need to pay tax lor.
So basically, if you have a lot of properties and make money from those properties… no need to pay tax. But if you earn more than RM2,500 a month, you have to pay tax. Nice or not?
On a related note, my friends in the tax industry said they are waiting for the official legislation to confirm the abolishment. Perhaps it’s not as simple as it seems. Ya’ know, the thing with our gomen… sometimes… they give you A… you have to fulfil B, C, D, E, F, G, H….. X, Y, Z before you can get A.
3 things that I would like to share today… very quickly:
Uncyclopedia
Jules sent me this link today. A MUST READ!!! One will think it is a joke with just one page to make fun of you-know-which-country. But… but… but… it’s not just a one page wonder, it covers a whole lot of things… I actually looked up “World War II” and “Global Warming”, and they actually cover those too!! Have fun… this is truly a good breakaway from Wikipedia.
Recipe for Oyster Mushroom with “cili padi”
1. Heat up oil and put in chopped garlic, stir till it fragrances;
2. Add in ‘cili padi’ and fry till it stings your nose;
3. Put in some salt based on your requirement;
4. Put in oyster mushroom and fry;
5. Add in a little sugar to stimulate taste (tiu mei – not a vulgar word);
6. Fry and add a little water (just a little) and cover wok wait dish to boil.
7. Add soya sauce for taste based on your preference.
Tips: Must control water input because the fluid from the mushroom will surface during cooking to form your gravy. Do not cook too long, else they will get slimy.
Feedback on Zewt’s cooking from Julia
Can be seen as a comment by Jules here.
Jules said…
Yes yes yes Zewt can cook! A very attractive quality indeed! I have been fortunate enough to taste his signature siew yok! And yes cucumber can be cooked..someting new to me too, until zewt cooked it for me!I think everyone can cook. It doesn't take a genius, just some commonsense. With experience we can only get better. It is just a matter of whether we WANT to cook! Think many of us rather run to the nearest hawker/mamak!
Have a lovely weekend everybody!!!!!
P/S: Politikus, will blog about RPGT next.
While I was working as a temporary barista in Starbucks before I went to UK, someone told me this. It’s very interesting…
