Wednesday, 31 March 2010

What's USD15,000?

Maybe I am ignorant, but I have yet to understand what exactly is the newly announced National Economic Model (NEM). From the brief summary, I can only see a lot of promises and pledges.

Remember the 11 goodies dished out after the initial 100th day?

Measures to be announced to curb correction = 1 goodie.

The NEM seems to carry the same tone, with its major selling point…

Aim to increase per capita income to USD15,000 within 10 years = NEM! Yay!

Anyway, let’s think a bit. What’s USD15,000? Based on current rate, its circa RM50,000. That would be RM4,166 a month. After tax and other deductions, left with maybe RM3,500? What’s RM3,500 a month?

Oh wait! It’s to be achieved within 10 years. Assuming, this timeline doesn’t suffer a from the Malaysian-time syndrome and is actually achieved in 10 years time. What’s RM3,500 a month in 10 years time? How much do you think a nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow and bak-kut-teh will cost by then?

But then again, maybe in 10 years time, USD1 = RM10 and hence, USD15,000 = RM150,000!

Or maybe, we can buy more submarines that can't dive, or buy more planes that keep crashing, or sponsoring a few more F1 team, or keep driving away foreign investors, then maybe it’ll make USD1 = RM20 and hence, USD15,000 = RM300,000! It may be part of the plan, you’ll never know…

Having said that, a lot of us are probably earning above the per-capita income level we don’t really care.


2 years ago…
More valuable than gold

16 comments:

InjusticeSistem said...

15K achieve in 10 yrs or not mk no difference. Currently Msia USD7k vs Spore USD37k....5 times difference.
10 yrs (if really achieve) later,Msia USD15k vs Spore USD120k, 8 times difference.
So technically Najib achieve his target, but da whole damn world has move on la bradderrrr....and your favorite Perodua Myvi is stl da top selling Msia car at RM80k...tk it or leave it bradder
So ppl, wen Najib talk, don just listen to what he says,also hv to listen to what he is not saying...
But don worry ppl,Msian mudah lupa,this USD15k target would be old news long forgotten by next month.....so even if we don achieve its ok

SFGEMS said...

Your last line is the bomb!!!!

So many that I know fall in that category. They lead cushy and comfy lives and think all is well.

For the rare few that are also in that category and who are doing all that they can, I salute them.

It's the only indication that kindness and humanity is not completely dead. ;)

C said...

Zewt..I've the same thought as u when I heard abt this over the news..and kudos~ injusticeSistem,I agree that Msian are forgetful, or perhaps erm..ignorant should i say..How many actually care??!! Go ask around..how many actually know what's NEP and now NEM pulak..

Alot of times i think..Whatever visionsssss that we have so far..perhaps is just the vision of "one person" instead of the whole nation..And how many of the so called visions/goals have actually being realised???

Blah~

ZACL said...

The dressing up of economics, accounts and all the hot air that accompanies it, strains the brain sometimes. Ten years hence....will we all be here or there?

You get so well informed of the tricks that politicians use to try and create a feel-good factor, at least you can work it out and shrug it off. That said, it dies not deal with the truth of the present or the near future.

Haven't we been told that short-termism is good, long-termism is not? We've seen what taking the quick short term buck can do... taking the long term buck is less easy to assess, but sorry, we are, I am, cycnical.

Anonymous said...

Like most people, we have to just wait and see what NEM is all about.

Terra Shield said...

I'm pretty curious myself. Haven't had the chance to fully know everything about it yet, though...

missironic said...

Wahahaha! So true... wait and see how good this NEM will be..

Jorji said...

Ubah gaya hidup.

:P

deus X machina said...

Or maybe, we can buy more submarines that can't dive, or buy more planes that keep crashing, or sponsoring a few more F1 team, or keep driving away foreign investors, then maybe it’ll make USD1 = RM20 and hence, USD15,000 = RM300,000! It may be part of the plan, you’ll never know…


It's really sinical...keh keh

goingkookies said...

u always crack me up with ur sarcasm..

"Or maybe, we can buy more submarines that can't dive, or buy more planes that keep crashing, or sponsoring a few more F1 team, or keep driving away foreign investors... "

eiling lim said...

well said! whoever that they employed to come up with this statement is really brilliant! Maybe he doesn't know what inflation is! hehe

Ir. Hanafi Ali said...

USD15k is the median or average income...

Errr I was about to go on a tirade that median or average means this that but someone pointed out up there that Singapore has USD37K per capita income (against Malaysia USD7k) and I was like whoaaa...

Shut my &*&*^*( mouth already.

zewt said...

InjusticeSistem - sorry what did you say again? i lupa already :P

Estrelita Soliano Grosse - welcome back! there are just too many oblivious ppl around.

Chloe Teah - yeah, i remember when MyKad was introduced, it was supposed to be this that this that... but did it happen?

ZACL - arent we all cynical :)

Mei Teng - and i am still waiting.

Terra Shield - you are not alone.

zewt said...

missironic - sigh... still waiting ler.

j or ji - dah ubah beberapa kali dah.

deus X machina - :P... mana de?

goingkookies - yeah, it's a measure to boost our exchange rate :P

eiling lim - well, there are many ppl who dont understand inflation... really.

Hansac - hahaha... and their things there are still so much cheaper...

iamlazymouse said...

wah...... okay, everyone, let's lie back on our comfy sofa and see whats this NEM gonna be really like..

zewt said...

iamlazymouse aka swee ping - and till today, i still dunno what it is all about.