FRAT MUSTARDGrowing Malaysia’s Food & Beverage Industry

Since the start of time, philosophers across different cultures have identified the basic elements of the world that allow us to exist. A quick check with the all knowing Google and Wikipedia confirms that across the Babylonian, Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan cultures, common elements were identified. They are water and earth. Many had sky, wind or space also as an element but not all. Fire is also a common element identified. The Chinese had wood and metal as elements which the rest did not… I am sure deeper investigation in other cultures will detect more fascinating patterns and similarities (which my slipshod online research did not pick up on).

The sad point to note is that the basic elements, water and earth are no longer free. Clean river water is still accessible in some areas… but for how long? The basic elements of living have been taken away from us and commercialised! The worst part is we did this to ourselves and allowed it to happen.

In this post, I intend to focus on water. I know nothing about earth and land but I know I drink lots of water daily… which makes me a bit of an expert I reckon (like the rest of the world). My issue is that I dislike being coerced to buy still or sparkling water that costs more than a Ramly Burger Daging Double Special. MmmmMmm… Double Special! Anyway, back to the point… I feel it is perfectly fine for restaurants to sell premium bottled water but they should always allow access to tap water. Not only is it cheaper for the consumer, it is also better for the environment (read more about the advantages of tap water here).

Image from Upper Green Side

Personally, I don’t mind paying a little for a glass of tap water. I accept the justification that glasses need to be washed and the fact that restaurants need to pay for tapped water. Having said that, the most I would feel comfortable paying for a glass of tap water is RM0.50. Personally, anything more than that is being unreasonable. Based on the current rates displayed on Syabas (Selangor, Malaysia), commercial entities pay a maximum of RM2.28 per 35m³ of water. That is a wholeeeeeelottttttofwaterrrrr when you think about it in drinking glasses.

Water tariff from Syabas on 28th July 2010

I fully appreciate that restaurants are trying to make better margins by selling bottled water but coercing should never be the way. Charge a little… sure… don’t coerce. Water is a basic element and it should be easily accessible! My mood for dining is completely ruined every time I encounter this situation… I get frustrated and feel disgusted… so instead of paying a ridiculous premium on the bottled water, I choose alcohol instead… which gets me high and happy and then I forget about the issue for the moment. *epiphany happening* Heeeeyyy… maybe that’s why I am always drunk… everyone’s charging for bottled water.

So come on folks, if you feel strongly about the matter don’t take it lying down. I take it lying down because I’m too drunk to take it standing up. Give feedback to your favourite restaurants. Tell them you want the option of being served tap water. We have to make a stand now otherwise in the near future this coercing will become the norm and it will be too difficult to reverse. We can’t lose this element… I mean seriously folks, how can we call it progress and development when we are losing all these basic elements that were once free to us?

Oooh yes… thanks babe_kl for inspiring this post… on our drive back to Kepong