The Changing Face of Malaysia: Part 1–Food

A long time ago, it was said that our beautiful country was indeed beautiful, whereby national unity and tolerance existed in the heart of all its citizens who strove to liberate the country from the British. We had the best education system and the best infrastructure in Asia. But then, there is no way for me to verify this claim, for I have not been born yet.

Now Malaysia is the talk of the world but for all the wrong things. What has gotten so wrong? Let me begin this series by exploring some changes which have taken place, starting of course, with the most basic necessity of all– Food.

Every Year Food Getting So Expensive, What To Do Ah?

Now Baby Boomers like your parents say that, once upon a time, 30c would get you a decent plate of economy rice, complete with two or three dishes of your choice.

However, back then, you’d only earn about a couple of hundred ringgit if you were lucky. World economy was great and gold prices were low and things were all very simple.

Yet every year, the price of food increases without fail. The last time I went home, I can get a plate of char kuay teow in KL for RM3.30 on average.

The next price increase came during Chinese New Year, when hawkers decided that they needed to get some additional ang pow from their patrons. Our plate of noodles went up to RM 3.80, even though the ingredients and the effort used to make this dish remained the same. Recently, I heard that char kuay teow went up to about RM 4.30 a plate.

Now how horrendous is this? Imagine that you’re a student, looking to supplement your income during the holidays. Naturally, you would go for the hospitality industry, as that’s the easiest thing to get in. The last time I know it, a job in Mcdonalds or KFC would only net you RM 3-5 an hour. That tasty plate of char kuay teow will cost you one hours worth of work. Not worth it, isn’t it? And consider that you still have your school fees, accommodation, etc to worry about.

A further bad news is that, it is not only char kuay teow that has suffered from this recent increase in price. A little cup of coffee will burn RM 1 off your pocket. Roti canai, a local favourite, will cost you RM 1.20 now, whereas in the years past (that I remember), RM 1.20 would net you a roti canai with an egg in it, affectionately named as roti telur.

Yet today, people are earning more than they used to in the 1960s, but we still hear complains about the rising cost of food. Apparently, the pay rise couldn’t keep up with the rising cost of living.

The only question that remains is: When will the increases stop? Do we have to wait until all the people are starving in the streets and start waging war against greedy restauranteurs?

My char kuay teow doesn’t taste the same anymore, even though I’m a regular visitor to this hawker store, and I know what it tastes like.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? I think it’s happening more and more regularly in restaurants throughout Malaysia, or around KL if I may say it. Sometimes, it’ll be due to a change of cooks. That of course cannot be helped. The new cook might not be as good as the last one.

Other times, the cook is still the same. Everything about the dish is the same, except that, there’s clearly something missing. I think the cook has been omitting some rather high profile ingredients from the recipe. Sigh, without shrimps, a plate of char kuay teow will taste rather bland. But don’t worry, uncle always has a method of making his food taste better!

MSG! The solution to all your hair loss problems! How this works: MSG causes all your hair to drop off so you don’t have to worry about them anymore!

Also, did you happen to notice that, over the years, the average serving size of food has shrunk? Once upon a time, a serving of vegetables in a particular restaurant can feed six people. Over the years, as the manager starts to see dollar signs in his dreams, the serving sizes become smaller. Now that vegetable serving can only feed three people at most, even though the price is still the same (or worse, increased).

Eggs!

I don’t know what’s the big deal about eggs in Malaysian food courts. Are they really that expensive? A plate of char kuay teow without eggs is only RM 3.80. Add that little touch of yellow, and it becomes RM 4.30. You can’t be serious.

How much do eggs cost anyway? 50c? I think they’re closer to about 20-30c a piece. Talk about an almost 100% profit.

At one time last year, I was back in Penang, walking in Queensgate Shopping Centre. And then, you know, dinner time, and we went to the food court, where my father ordered some sizzling noodles, which was supposedly RM 4.50. After the person had prepared it, the bill came to a staggering amount of RM 5.40. Now wait a minute, where did that come from? A little touch of yellow and white. A goddamn egg which cost 90c a piece!

What is the Secret to Staying Slim? Eat Air!

The next time you visit your local supermarket, go to the junk food section, and pick up a packet of chips.

Try crunching the top of the packaging. It’s hard. Go a little lower, and repeat. It is only about 1/4 way through the pack that your fingers would come in contact with the chips.

This is the newest technique in marketing, not only in Malaysia but also in the US. If packages were actually filled to the brim, it’ll mean a higher cost for the company. So a slimming message is the appropriate way to go. If we can actually convince more people that air is healthy, who knows, one day in the future, a bag of chips might turn out to be a bag of air!

I think I’ve said enough here, tune in sometime later for Part 2, where I’ll talk about: The Importance of Dollar Signs!

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