Malaysia: Politicians for The Win
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not affiliated with TLMUN Herald.
One need not be politically astute to recognise that the Malaysian government is botching the country’s affairs, and ironically this government was never elected by the people. They acquired their positions by fluke and are squandering things to varying extents. The recent floods, which are regarded as one of the worst Malaysians have ever witnessed since 1971, exposed the various layers of Malaysian ministers’ incompetence. Despite this, politicians in Malaysia appear to be thriving amid the reaction they have faced.
Understanding Malaysian Politics
Try to stay on track because this is where things become a little complicated. As far as everyone is concerned, Malaysia is a democratic country, but the people have been denied the freedom to vote for their preferred political party throughout the past two presidencies. Why? That’s the million-dollar question now. Everyone was aware that the government was failing miserably in its handling of the issue of the pandemic, albeit, to their credit, nearly no other country was prepared to combat an invisible opponent. Nonetheless, Malaysia had a solid handle on the situation at the start, with only 200 cases per day. However, party-hopping politickers decided to move for their own gain and forced an unneeded election causing COVID-19 cases to skyrocket at an unprecedented rate.
When Pakatan Harapan collapsed, Muhyiddin was sworn in by the King as the next Prime Minister, and then things only got worse from thereon. Maybe it was the virus that had caught him off guard and took him some time to respond to the situation, or maybe it was just his inability to handle an unexpected crisis. But as a country’s leader, that tells a lot about a person. Instead of assisting his country’s dying citizens, Muhyiddin invoked the ‘state of emergency’ card in the hopes of prolonging his administration and avoiding elections altogether. To put it bluntly, when everyone agreed that Muhyiddin was the wrong guy for the job, another incapable politician, Ismail Sabri, was elected. Since becoming Malaysia’s leader, perhaps the most significant thing he has done is congratulate himself by putting up banners on every pole in the country. If there was one word to describe the current status of our country, it would most likely be egotistical or narcissistic.
People or the Pay?
Politicians exploiting their people is even more tragic than the rich exploiting the poor. All of Malaysia’s ministers since Najib’s reign have been power-hungry and materialistic, regardless of the fact that it is their sworn responsibility to handle the people’s affairs and assist them out of difficult situations. They are more concerned with lining their pockets with cash and material possessions than with helping the people. Without naming any, surely there is a handful that comes to mind. Morally, a minister who is paid RM 90,000 a month should spend his time doing his job rather than going to places to launch events that are ostensibly for the people, having ceremonies, cutting cakes, throwing parties, and doing other things that are not part of their job description. Overall, the country would do much better if the politicians did put in more effort from their side as well.
Malaysian ministers have everything. From above-average pay to luxurious homes, posh cars, and premium schools for their children, they have it all. What more could they want, right? They do, however, demand more, which is both surprising and shameful. Was the renovation of the Prime Minister’s official house, which cost 30 million Ringgit, absolutely necessary? No, but since he is a Malaysian minister, it’s fine whether or not the public has a say. Is it necessary for all ministers to drive around in Vellfires? No, but since they are ministers, they can drive whatever they want. Is it really necessary to have a cabinet with a lot of different divisions? No, other countries manage their larger divisions just fine with fewer ministers. But they are the ministers, and in a democratic country, the ministers get the final say. Not the people. Not the majority. But the ministers. Is the quantity of labour they do commensurate with the pay they receive? Certainly not, but this is still an ongoing debate.
Nepotism in Malaysian Politics
Nepotism can be found in any industry, however, this isn’t Bollywood; it is an actual country. It seems, ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ appears to be nothing more than propaganda since only the minister’s son-in-law was rescued by helicopter when the floods hit the population. The poor people, however, were left to fend for themselves. Thank God for selfless NGOs and Malaysians who rose to the occasion and have shown that they were more human than those seated in plush chairs under yellow umbrellas. So, when it comes to life and death situations, one really does not stand a chance unless they are ‘one of them.’
Even if our ministers lack the qualifications or skills to perform the work, family members, relatives, or close acquaintances quickly fill major positions with better remuneration. Those who receive JPA scholarships merely because they may be direct descendants of ministers are another sort of nepotism that hurts the most. So, it appears that grades are no longer important since, at the end of the day, if one is not born with silver spoons, their grades are worthless. Unfortunately, in Malaysia, hard effort and perseverance alone will not get one very far.
Ministers Setting Examples
You’d think that someone in such a high-ranking position, earning about 50 thousand ringgit a month, would at least have the decency to address journalists and reporters professionally and respectfully. Only in Malaysia can you see ministers in such high positions on live television chastising a journalist for being Chinese. Or, in other instances, berating reporters to communicate in Malay since they don’t speak English. Is the standard for being a minister in Malaysia so low that it is publicly and internationally acceptable for them to be unable to communicate in basic English? And if Malaysia is labelled a “third-world country,” expect these same people to become defensive and offended. Isn’t it mostly their fault for displaying such behaviour on national television and being a laughingstock to the rest of the world? The US has already filled in that position, Malaysia does not need to jump in on that bandwagon.
We haven’t even gotten to the part concerning ethics yet. When the Kelana Jaya LRT collision happened, Tajuddin, as the chairman of Prasarana, acted despicably and insensitively toward the situation. Tajuddin was not only disrespectful and indifferent but also appeared racially insulting to one of the reporters on the scene, albeit arriving a day late. Despite a long history of being known for being brash and using abrasive language in parliament, he continues to get re-elected to high-ranking positions. Speaking of which, in Malaysian Parliament sessions, where decisions are made to run the country and lives are at stake, you see a bunch of ministers shouting across the room in a disorderly fashion. The funny thing is, they’re all highly educated, with impressive degrees (acquired or bought) and high employment positions, yet they can’t have a mature and adult debate without making a racist, ageist, sexist, or demeaning remark or insulting the opposite side.
Now that the standards have been created, the police are beginning to follow in the footsteps of these great role models — the ministers. Instead of safeguarding and assisting the people, Malaysian police are pleasing the government. That is why it is “OK” for ministers and their families to travel abroad during lockdown restrictions, cross borders without a justifiable cause, and be given way on a road to pass through with a long line of escort cars even when an ambulance is transporting a dying victim. Yes, in Malaysia, the people’s lives don’t matter — unless you’re high up in the hierarchy.
Say Cheese!
Maybe it was a dream of Rina Harun, Ismail Sabri and Azmin Ali to become actors, but when there was no luck in acting, they turned to politics. That’s why they are more likely to be seen on screens, rather than actually doing their jobs. Many might think it’s a publicity stunt or act, to get the votes. And they are right. Right from the very beginning, when the floods hit many cities, the Prime Minister prioritised his ceremonies and cutting cakes. Rina Harun, the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development organised a fundraiser to raise funds for the flood victims. Having a fundraiser is not the brightest solution in a crisis, especially when you’re a minister with the capacity and power to mobilise government assets to aid flood victims. All the while different NGOs, MUDA party, Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya, Sunway, Petronas, Mydin, Decathlon, and Malaysian citizens were out and about helping the flood victims. The flood killed 48 people, and many more would have died if it hadn’t been for these NGOs. Yet, seeing their faces plastered on television screens and the front page of a newspaper is far more important to our ministers than saving people’s lives.
After the next few days of impeding help for the flood relief, stalling the army from rescuing victims, we see pictures and videos of Azmin Ali, Ismail Sabri and Rina Harun posing for the media showing the world that they were ‘helping’ out flood victims. Watching this publicity stunt enraged Malaysians even more, who rushed to Twitter to vent their outrage and disgust at these politicians for handling the country’s situation in such a terrible and ineffective manner. Rather than establishing a command centre with sufficient resources to assist flood victims, the Malaysian government appeared to rely more on NGOs to assist flood victims. We haven’t seen a clear command centre or funds being given to individuals in need until today.
Come On Lah — Things Should be Better than this
Every topic that has been touched on thus far is merely surface level. It would take a long time to go into detail about the government’s unjust and discriminatory treatment. Just to recap a few that’s happened in the past few months, we start with the Dewan Rakyat speaker denying the motion to debate on the issues of flood in Parliament. This sparked even more rage among the people on Twitter and ‘DO NOT DONATE TO THE GOVERNMENT’ started trending soon after the Prime Minister launched a flood relief fund to help the victims. RapidKL increased the price of their travel pass from 30 ringgit to 50 ringgit, even after it was clear that the citizens are going through a tough time. Those are just a few significant instances that have happened over the past few weeks, and it has caused disarray among the people.
Unlike the States, where Trump was elected and Americans had to pay the price (and learn their lessons), Malaysians never sought this government to rule over them. Sometime in the past, Malaysia has seen many great leaders who were up to the task of governing the country with love and pride for the nation. But now, patriotism is lost. Now, money and power have the upper hand.
Most politicians nowadays will use any means at their disposal to secure the votes they desire. Even if it means risking the lives of others and causing an economic downfall to the country. What they fail to realise is that this is all temporary. At the end, when everyone has just about had it with them, they won’t have a country left to rule. Just a piece of land, filled with enraged people who wish them ill. It is not worth — all of it, the greed, the power, the money — but it seems unlikely that they will realise it anytime soon.
Until then, my fellow Malaysians, let’s just hold on to the little piece of hope, that Malaysia will see the light at the end of the tunnel someday soon.
Written by: Balvin Dhaliwal. Edited by: Suhana Kabeer.