Twentytwo13

Car for sale but is this the best time to take a loan?

Two weeks ago, my car’s timing belt snapped.

Unfortunately, that meant a whole lot of cash outflow – close to RM7,000. That included the air-conditioning, which was scheduled to be fixed at the end of this month).

My colleagues joked that for that amount, I could have put a down payment on a new car!

The incident happened just a couple of months after settling the loan for the Exora.

The home minister and I were considering getting a new vehicle – but for her, as her Iswara is as old as our son – 16 years.

She has been eyeing the Proton X50 – even though there is a long wait list.

We considered a second-hand car but were worried about the maintenance cost.

However, a good friend suggested we buy a car (main picture), from his uncle who restores classic Volvos.

He knew how much I love old cars. Knowing his uncle’s workmanship, we needn’t have to worry about the car breaking down.

We, however, have put that thought on hold. With Covid-19 still raging and job security a priority, we are unsure if it is the right time to make a big purchase. It is better to have cash in hand for emergencies.

A friend, Alvin Cheah, is in the same predicament.

He has had his car for more than eight years, and it is paid up. But he has been spending several hundred ringgit every other month on repairs – after paying a few thousand on a major repair a year ago.

He had planned to get a new car early this year but changed his mind when Malaysia entered Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18.

His car is still giving problems. Like us, he doesn’t want to take a loan at the moment.

When I told the home minister about Cheah’s quandary, she said: “Looks like we are in the same boat. If only there were ways to print money.”

Sadly, I had to tell her it was a stupid idea.

After all, who in their right minds would suggest such a thing? Definitely, not someone in a position of power as it could be political suicide – in other countries.

Oh well, guess we have to wait out the pandemic before getting a new drive as it is better to be safe than sorry.

Hopefully, there are no more repairs for the foreseeable future.

Today is the 249th day of the Movement Control Order and this is the 23rd weekly edition of ‘The MCO Diaries’.

50,000 CASES AND COUNTING

Wednesday was a black day for Covid-19 cases in Malaysia as we surpassed 50,000 cases.

As of Friday, we have 52,638 infections, up 7,543 from a week ago.

The number of deaths reached 329. This is an increase of 25 in the past week while the number of recoveries climbed to 39,088 or 74.3 per cent.

The United States has surpassed 12 million cases, with the most recent million coming in under a week. More horrifying, it now has more than 250,000 deaths.

Worldwide there are more than 57.3 million cases and close to 1.37 million deaths.

The good news is that Pfizer and BioNTech said on Wednesday an updated analysis of Phase 3 clinical trial for their Covid-19 vaccine shows that it is 95 per cent effective.

NOT SO ‘EZ’ PARKING

Ever since Kuala Lumpur City Hall implemented its cashless parking, paying for it has not been ‘EZ’.

The one app I’m using now – EZ Smart Parking – is neither easy nor smart.

It’s bad enough that it’s slow, what’s worse is that you can’t leave a zero balance in the account – I tried – so I have decided to stick with it for a while.

The worst thing? I received an email from the company stating monthly passes can be purchased – for RM320 a month for Zone A and RM160 a month for Zones B and C.

Curious to find out which zone I belonged to, I clicked on the link provided and was met with this …

I can’t wait until Boost and Touch ’n Go can be used to pay for parking once again.

STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON GOES VIRTUAL

The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) has announced the introduction of its inaugural virtual run from Dec 5-13 and it is free!

The Virtual Run will offer the full marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km distances. Runners from all over the world are expected to participate.

A virtual run is where participants who register for an event can run anywhere within the specified time-frame as long as they provide proof of their completed distance through digital apps or wearables.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has halted the staging of mass participation events, at least for the foreseeable future, virtual runs are increasingly becoming the next viable option to fill that void.

Registration is open from now until Dec 3.

WORK FROM HOME HUMOUR

Saw this on Facebook

CAR SERVICE AT YOUR DOORSTEP

A friend recently had to service her car. Instead of driving to the mechanic and getting stuck in roadblocks – where she stays and her mechanic are in different districts – she opted for a ‘house call’.

From e-hailing to delivery services which can buy you petrol if you’re stuck somewhere to mechanics coming to your home, life can be easy (read lazy) nowadays!

SALTED EGG FRUIT CAKES ANYONE?

Looking for Christmas gifts? Why not try this unique salted egg Christmas fruit cakes gift basket.

MONEY FOR NOTHING

I have a feeling many strongly agree with Dire Straits’ sentiments about money. See you next week.