The BN government has shown time and time again that it does not care for the welfare of the rakyat, especially those from the lower middle-class and lower class. And our PM has the audacity to come up with sweet slogans like 'People 1st, Performance Now'.
This is the same man who said 'ubah gaya hidup' to Malaysians when the petrol price went up to RM2.70 last year causing a spiraling of prices of food and services too.
What does he know of hardship? Najib Abdul Razak, you never faced any financial difficulty at any time in your life for you always had a silver spoon in your mouth from birth.
And now with the new National Automotive Policy, he wants to put people like me, from the lower middle-class in debt. I own a 1991 Proton Saga I inherited from my late father. I refurbished it five years ago and kept it in good condition. It's 18 years old now.
I took it up to Genting Highlands - all the way up - twice in the last two years and my brother borrowed the car to drive from Klang to Penang, and back to Klang again without any problems at all or safety issues.
I owe no money to the banks and the car is economical to run too. Now tell me Mr PM, why are you forcing me to buy a new or not-so-new car? There are two clauses in the NAP that bother me a lot.
- Mandatory inspection for cars 15 years or older before a road tax renewal.
I just know what the spin doctors from the government are going say about this. They will say that old cars are generally not maintained well and are a danger to the safety of the owners and other road users. On the surface it does somewhat make sense.
However are there any statistics to show that most road accidents involving cars are because of faulty mechanical components or just plain carelessness or recklessness? Because in most car accidents I witnessed, its he old cars that are involved - it is mostly cars under 10 years old and the causes were because of carelessness and not mechanical failure.
While this move isn't so bad, it still reeks of the government trying to inconvenience owners of old cars so that they will buy new cars, especially Protons.
- Prohibition of the importing of used cars and parts.
Again the spin doctors will be saying we must buy new parts because they are safer. And the minister has the gall to say that he doesn't want Malaysia to be a dumping ground. Maybe that's true, but tell me at what cost will it come? Currently I can get quality used parts from any 'potong' shop for my Saga, all imported from Japan because the Proton Saga shares a lot of parts with the 80s Mitsubishi Lancer.
By prohibiting these parts being sold, the government has shown its true colors by making it difficult for owners like me to keep my car running for a long time to come. With no cheap quality spares, I have no choice but to buy very costly new ones or some parts will be impossible to buy new like the gearbox or the engine. Then what?
I have no choice but to scrap my old car and then buy a new car. But wait, with my salary what car can I buy ? What else, a new Proton or Perodua. And who stands to make money at my expense? The car-makers who are government cronies and the banks becuase of the car loans.
Dont forget that Najib's brother is a big-shot CEO of Cimb bank. Again the poor wage-earner is being extorted by the mega-corporations. At an interest rate at 4% a year and a loan repayment period of seven years, a new Proton Saga at a price of RM40000, could incur me RM10,000 or more, just in interest payments over the seven years.
On top of that, I would have to service the car for three years at Proton, otherwise the warranty will be void. Wait there's more - if you buy any new car, Proton or otherwise, you will have to pay a marked-up fee for servicing at these centers - a lot more than you would pay at regular workshops. Again the car corporations are making money out of me on top of the sale price.
I am sorry, but I just can't believe that the BN-led government would do anything good for the rakyat, (forgive my cynicism Mr Perdana Menteri). But all is see are the banks and car-makers making money.
Owners of old rear-wheel drive cars who use it for drifting will also be affected. Those who want to indulge in drifting but can't afford expensive cars like the Nissian Silvia or any very expensive newer rear-wheel drive cars will have to give up the sport. They would have to scrap their late 70s Toyota KE70s and the 80s Mistubishi Lancer GSRs. This, in turn, will affect the 'potong kereta' shops as well as repair shops.
Mr Prime Minister, how much is the average salary of the average Malaysian? Mr Prime Minister, how much is the price of a regular mid-sized family sedan? At our salaries, we would have to take seven or nine-year loans and be in debt with the evil banks.
Mr Prime Minister, did you at any point in your life ever face a debt problem because you didn't have a job? When I was a 12-year-old boy in 1988, I witnessed car repossessers come to my home to take away my father's earlier car, a '86 Proton Saga, because my father had lost his job and couldn't make payments of the car loan.
I do mot want to be in debt my dear Najib. I have seen it and experienced it before but I bet you never faced any finacial difficulty in any point in your life. Have a heart, don't go ahead with this unjust automotive policy.
If you want the national automotive scene to thrive on its own, you should drastically lower taxes on imported cars so that Proton and Perodua will have to lower their prices and increase quality as well. Then only can they be competitive.
You must not burden the ordinary wage-earning rakyat like me. My 18-year-old Proton Saga is my luxury. It may seem like nothing to you since you can drive any car you like, but its important to me because it takes me and my family places, and does it economically too.
If you persist in going ahead with this terribly lopsided policy, I assure you I will mobilise all old car owners, 'potong' kereta shops, and garages to sign a country-wide petition and submit it to you. Remember that we are voters too....
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