...and now for a bit of patriotism

As I have proclaimed underneath my blog name, I like to think of myself as a patriot. Let me elucidate what exactly i mean by that- I like to ponder about things that can be done to make us a better people and a better nation as a whole. This includes how to improve our lives,live safer and to that end,for now, my one grouch is about.....cars. As a rule, I consider cars to be purely a mode of transportation that takes us from A to B. Nothing more,nothing less. Other people, of course ( including my husband) view them as something else entirely. An obsession doesn't even cover it. More like a lifelong unrequited Great Love Story...why unrequited you ask? Because of what I have seen my husband putting into this obsession , the rewards are few and far in between.Tak berbaloi!!.Anyway, I will continue ranting about that in another blog entry( of which I'm sure many will empathize with me) but for now, back to the topic at hand.

Cars- that thing which most of us take for granted and pay through our noses for the privilege of owning, driving,parading, modifying, etc..is something which most of us will agree is an essential piece of our everyday living. This is even more so for the urban dwellers, as the public transport system is still woefully inadequate for our needs. Which amounts to the ever increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads- this despite the fact that Malaysia rates as a country in which it's citizens have to cough up a lot of dough to own a car...hugely due to it's massive import tax imposed on the cars ( and hence buyers). I feel that it's high time the Government ease up on the import tax, and allow Malaysians to own cars at a much lower price. This not only makes cars more affordable to the general masses, but also allows consumers to be able to buy cars which are safer and more value for money. Think about specific groups where ownership of a car is not only helpful but is a downright necessity- families with small kids and school-going children, families with elderly parents, disabled or even the sick. It is definitely not ideal for these groups of people to go around in motorcycles, for instance. You could argue that public transportation is available, but these can be restrictive and unpredictable ( buses, for example) and if used often too expensive for people to afford. Hence the need for cars which are more affordable and for better cars to be more accessible than to just the high income earners.