Petrol prices around the World, and Malaysia - July 2013

Many of us have been complaining about the price of petrol in Malaysia and there are numerous calls for revamp of the fuel subsidy policy. We say that, as an oil producing nation, Malaysia should be at a position to offer its citizen a lower petrol prices, just like those in Arab countries.

I found this unleaded gasoline price comparison when I visited Cikgu Tehramuan's blog and decided to share it here for our reference.

Note about the source (MyTravelCost.com): The data are drawn from a variety of sources including official government materials, oil companies, online resources specializing in gas prices, and others.

Petrol prices in Malaysia, compared with other South East Asia nations and major economies:


Among South East Asian countries, Brunei is cheapest with Malaysia coming in second. It is most expensive to refill your tank if you are driving in Singapore.


Global comparison of unleaded petrol prices:

Figure 1 & 2: World's unleaded gasoline prices, July 2013

You pay almost none in Venezuela while it is hard to make ends meet for the the average drivers in Turkey. You can tailor this according to the currency of your country by visiting MyTravelCost.


The Green Mechanics 2 cents'

Even so, I think there are still a lot more to be desired in the fuel subsidy policy in Malaysia. One thing that is obvious is that, car prices are extremely high here. It is like you are paying an up-front amount of money to subsidise your fuel for the next 10 to 15 years.

I would rather have un-subsidised fuel, and I get to purchase my car at half the current price. That way, I would be the one managing the way I spend on gas, such as, how much I travel, when to drive and when to use the public transport, etc.

If I can buy a Toyota Altis or a Honda Accord or a Nissan Teana at less than half of the current price, then yeah, why not!


Source: MyTravelCost

Rebates for 3G Smartphones in January 2013

The government is ready to implement the granting of a RM200 rebate for the purchase of the 3G smart mobile phones to youths between the ages of 21 and 30 beginning Jan 1, 2013.

Take your pick!

The one-off rebate was announced by Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, when tabling the 2013 Budget on September 28th for youths to purchase a 3G smartphone to help them access the information superhighway.

In a recent report by Bernama, Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Rais Yatim said he was confident the programme could be implemented without any problem due to the well-planned preparations made by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

However, the ministry was scrutinising the actual meaning of the term 'smartphone' used and the price rate that would qualify the buyer to receive the cash rebate.

"When this has been carried out, I feel there is no problem any more (to implement the rebate). Many people have asked, so we want to give ample space for them to contact the MCMC directly or the shops and agents that have been registered," he said.


Prone to abuse?

It is a noble intention on the part of the government to help the masses - especially the younger generation - better access to information but I can see how people will try to abuse this facility. On a positive note, because of the possible loopholes, the RM200 rebate amount is just nice - not too small and at the same time not much such that it poses significant risk to the government's wallet. 

It is an open secret that the EPF Computer Withdrawal scheme some time ago was riddled with abuses. Contributors tried every means and ways to make the most to get cash rather than laptops. I got mine for RM3,999 and felt it was never worth it. The Compaq Presario was powered by a humble Celeron 600 MHz with many features at minimum specifications. In all honesty, even at that time, for that price you'd expect no less than a Pentium 1.5 GHz processor.

Without clear guidelines from MCMC, this rebate is just another accident waiting to happen. Both retailers and consumers would collaborate to create a 'win-win' situation.

Believe me, with a rebate of RM200, there is a lot to gain from the sale of a RM500/pc smartphone. The sooner you come up with the guidelines the better!