Family of Four

The Shrinking Ringgit Malaysia

How valuable is your ringgit these days? The inflation monster is definitely back like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator.

Case in point.

Yesterday night, I brought my family for dinner at Ah Fook’s in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. While waiting for the food to be served, I ordered a tall glass of ‘teh openg’.

When it arrived, I nonchalantly asked, “How much ah?”

“RM1.40”, the waiter replied.

“Huh? It was RM1.30 the last time?” I replied.

“New price-lah from the 1^st of November.”

Wow! Like a duke, I grudgingly paid up.

Ah Fook surely can cook up a storm of Thai-styled dishes this side of Petaling Jaya. We ordered sambal prawn petai; the 4 mixed vegetables all in one and fried beef. As usual, the waiting was agonizingly long. It was worth the waiting though as the food was delicious especially the sambal prawn petai. We cleaned up the dishes in no time.

We then asked for the bill. To our consternation, we found all dishes have gone up by a ringgit each in price. On top of that, per plate of rice was now 90 sen per plate, a whopping 20 sen increase.

I had to pay RM 4 more for the meal at Ah Fook this time around.

Why is this happening?

My wife tells me that fresh food produce at the market and the supermarkets has not really gone up. So was the excuse the new water tariff hike beginning November 2006? The rate increase was relatively miniscule. Did the restaurant owners take the opportunity yet again to increase the coffee shop rentals which subsequently forced the stallholders to up their prices?

I tend to see profiteering by many parties be it the building owners, stallholders and the main coffee shop tenants. Food inflation has reared its ugly head again! Customers are the suckers once more. Woe betide us!!!!

I guess if your food is as good as Ah Fook’s, patrons will still come-lah. But believe me- the other stall holders may just see a dip in their daily takings if they just provide average fare with new prices.

Given time I believe the pasar malam food stalls operating just outside Ah Fook’s will become the beneficiaries as customers migrate outside to have alfresco dining at the expense of the stallholders of the adjacent coffee shops.

Well, that is the way of business. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Survival of the greediest…

As always,the people most affected by food inflation will be the fixed income earners and poor students. If you want to save, it’s best to learn how to cook and then to cook for the whole family at home big time.

For bachelors and students, the mamak stall is the most practical option.

The other option remaining is to rebus Mee Maggie at home.

Bon Appetite!

Quote of the Day:

"llusion is the first of all pleasures."- Oscar Wilde.

Heartsong-Heartstrong