The economists tell us that times are going to get harder and harder for us here in Malaysia. But amidst inflating prices, competition is only going to be more rife than ever with more people fighting to get a piece of the ever-shrinking pie. So the only people who would ultimately survive this boiling economic climate are the fittest of the lot.

This is precisely why society speaks a lot of the survival of the fittest. Those who are not tough enough eventually show themselves to be losers. We are nurtured to exalt mottos like "Born to win" and "We are the champions". Nobody likes the idea of being only second best. Strive to always be the best because nobody dares to mess with the best. If you fail to be the best, you will gain no respect.

One might say that humility ceases to be a virtue when survival is an issue. Of utmost importance is success, and only when one is successful that the virtue of humility can be cultivated. In success, you show yourself to be humble only to be even more respected.

It's true, this year is going to be a challenging year for many of us, unless one is so filthy rich that multiple price increases have no felt impact on the state of his infinite wealth. But for the rest of us, life is going to be harder than ever.

As Malaysians, our disposable income and purchasing power had just dropped tremendously when the clock struck 12 last night. Beginning today, we will feel the effect when receiving our electricity bills, buying stationery for our children, buying foodstuff at the market, sending our children to school on the bus, paying the exorbitant toll fee when travelling on the highway, and a good many more activities we usually take for granted.