Asian Tiger

Working Malaysians during this times will be in foul mood.  That’s because it’s tax season and everyone’s got to submit their tax returns by 30th April 2008.  If you are unaware of the submission deadline, again, it’s 30th April 2008.  There, I bolded and underlined it for you.

Each time I do my taxes, I go kelam-kabut looking for all the supporting documents/receipts for tax relief purposes.  But for the last year, I disciplined myself.  I got hold of an old shoebox and dumped every receipt into it as and when I bought time.  This year, no more kelam-kabut for me.  Completed my entire tax submission within 3 hours.

I have also checked with the income tax officer with regards to the sports tax relief.  For year 2008, you can claim for anything you spend on anything sports including sports shoes, racquets, balls, shuttlecocks, etc.  So, make sure you keep your receipts for next year and note that the relief is for a max of RM300.

Though tax season puts it toll on me, I’m glad I did it within a short period of time and the best part is, I overpaid!!

Hate to pour cold water but it’s not me moving to the United States; one of my friends is.  Why Texas you ask. I don’t have the actual reason but I believe it has to do with this friend of mine graduating from University of Dallas.  I suppose he’s quite used to the place after a few years of educating himself there.  He came back to Malaysia for a while, didn’t quite like the city except for the food, missed Dallas terribly, logged on the Internet, got a job from one of many Dallas jobs, applied visa and off he goes.

I wish I was that fortunate.  If I’m in his shoes, I would do the same but use the Dallas job as a stepping stone to get myself elsewhere in the United States.  Places like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle does beckon me.  This is exactly what another of my friends did.  He worked for a multinational company in Kuala Lumpur, applied for regional office in Singapore and worked there.  After a couple of years of good performance, he applied for transfer to Tokyo but got London instead.  After making obscene amount of stirling pounds, he applied for a transfer to New York and got it.  This is like a dream for me.

I am writing this post in response to a letter written by a reader in the New Straits Times.  The letter says:

TRAFFIC congestion is a daily and almost day-long occurrence in Kuala Lumpur city centre. It is worse during the weekend, when a motorist can be stuck in a jam for as long as two hours.

In such a situation, it is often advisable to call your date/client to cancel any appointment you may have made.

It is for these reasons that I fully support the implementation of a congestion-charge (CC) system in Kuala Lumpur.

We should model our CC system on that implemented in London, where they have successfully reduced traffic congestion.

Motorists wishing to enter the city centre should pay a reasonable fee, which, it is hoped, would discourage them from going into the city alone in their vehicle.
The collected congestion-charge fee could be used to improve the public transportation system.

However, the CC system should only operate during certain times of the day, for example, from 8.30am to 7pm.

Exceptions must be given to people whose homes are within the congestion-charge area, and to taxis and buses.

Although it is not cheap, I believe that such a system can help reduce city-centre traffic congestion significantly. On the first day of the implementation of the scheme in London, there was a 25 per cent drop in traffic.

It is sad to think that although we have one of the best road systems in Asia, we cannot enjoy them because of the horrendous traffic conditions in city centres. We must act now.

Though I myself would love to enjoy traffic-free driving, we need to stop a bit and do some thinking. Before we start copying London’s congestion charge, do we know what London’s public transportation is like?  Let me tell you about London’s public transportation; from their black cabs and red buses to their underground tube; it’s a maze of easy getting around.

In London, you need not negotiate with the black cab drivers. No need to wonder if they are going your direction or not. No need to worry if they are going to use the meter or not.  Back in Kuala Lumpur, (generally) it’s the reverse of what I experienced in London.

In London, the buses are aplenty and keeps to their schedule.  In Kuala Lumpur, you will sometimes have to wait for an hour and the elusive bus is nowhere to be found.

Take a look at the above extensive reach of London’s Tube.  In London, their tube stretches 50 kilometers in 6 zones. We have a long way to go before we reach their kind of rail system.  As a comparison, take a look at Kuala Lumpur’s rail map below.  See the stark contrast?

Therefore, before we start being a copycat, let’s give those affected an alternative. Not just any alternative but reasonable, workable, convenient alternatives.  In this case, Kuala Lumpur needs to have not a good but great public transportation first before we consider imposing congestion charge.