social change

ISSUE:
The fuel’s price hike by a steep 41%, from USD0.58 (RM1.92) a liter to USD0.83 (RM2.70). The changes of fuel price can be considered as unplanned quantitative.

Components of change:

1. Identity of change
The government of Malaysia announced increases in fuel prices on April 2008 as the effect of the increases of price of fuel at global market. The government chose to take that action in order to stabilize the fuel prices at international level as the reason of surge of global fuel price that made the cost of subsidies too burdensome for government. Not only Malaysia, India also took that similar action.
2. Level of change
The level of change refer to the structure of the society that affected by the changes. In this issue, people who used the fuel are most affected by this change. For example, private bus owners. They are the most affected group as their method of business is by using the fuel. As the fuel prices increase, they tend to raise the ticket’s prices in order to avoid from loss.
3. Duration of change
The price of fuel increase was started to increase on April 2008 until December 2008. The changes took around 8 to 9 months to complete. After 9 months, the fuel prices get back to normal when the government announced the cut down prices of fuel as the result of fuel prices down at global market.
4. Magnitude of change
Comprehensive. All Malaysian involved and affected by this change. The changes inclusive to the public without any exemption given to anybody.
5. Rate of change
In view of the fact that the fuel prices increases at global market, the government take drastic action as to raise the fuel price in the Malaysia in order to cope with the heavy subsidies that have kept fuel prices among the lowest in Southeast Asia and strained government treasury.

Sources/Variables of change:

1. Technology
In order to cope with the changes that have been made by the government, there is some technology created for the vehicles used. This technology called as NanoTech eeFuel Additive. This technology can increase mileage by 10% to 20%. The expertise group then came out with this technology in link to save up the usage of fuel.
2. Ideology
As the price of fuel hike, most of the people will prefer to use car that can save up the fuel usage. Moreover, some of the citizens also then think that they can use car pool in order to deal with the hike on fuel prices.
3. Competition
In link to cope with the increases of fuel prices, the company who sell car will try to compete with each other. They will compete to produce cars that have a technology which can save up the usage of fuel.
4. Conflict
The conflict happened when the price of other goods or services are also increase as the impact from the fuel’s prices increases. The price of certain products also raised such as rice and cooking oil. Furthermore, the conflict also occurred between the government and the public as the public voice out their dissatisfaction against the hike.
5. Political factor
Government acts as a leader to the citizens. In the Parliament, the government had discussed this matter and agreed to give yearly cash rebate amount of RM625 for small and medium sized cars. This amount is sufficient enough to cover the price hike for up to 800 liters.
6. Economic factor
The price of fuel increase also gives effects to people’s purchasing power. There would be more money spends on fuel and less money spends on other things.
7. Structural strains
There is too much argument from the public as the impact of hike in fuel price. The public tend to blame government for that action same with the opposition party. The public blame government for misused the country’s income.