COMMENT | My name is James Chai. I was born in 1993, and I am from the Lost Generation.

I am from the generation that is poor, lost, and forgotten. We can’t afford the things our parents could, we don’t have firm values like our parents do, and we’re not sure of who we are, just like how no one is sure of us.

At least I have a university degree. Only a meagre 12.4 percent of the workforce today has a university degree. Most of my friends and relatives my age started working right after they completed their SPM or diplomas.

And at least I didn’t have to starve. My friends in local universities only eat on alternate days because they are too poor. Some would have to hide the food they buy because it’s such a rarity. Even on those “food days”, it’s only either bread or instant noodles.

In a few months I will be looking for a job, but the odds are stacked against me. There are more than 504,000 unemployed Malaysians, and one in four fresh graduates will remain unemployed for six months after graduation. So I have to be prepared for that.

If I am so lucky to get a job interview, what I learned in school and university is not enough to land me a job. Assuming I do get a job, I may have to accept low and depressed wages - much like our mood.  

Most Malaysians’ wages are outpaced by the rising cost of living. Half of working Malaysians earned less than the national median of RM1,703 a month in 2016, and are paid significantly lower than the minimum acceptable living wage.

I can’t afford the things my parents could. I can’t afford to buy a house, I can’t afford to buy a car, I can’t afford to get married, I can’t afford to have children - I can’t afford to break down.

There is no economic boom of the roaring 90s, we are not an Asian tiger.

Twin assets of Money and Power 

While we live from hand to mouth, the ones in power seem to have it all.

They wear expensive suits I could never afford, they sit in luxurious cars their chauffeurs drive, they dine in exquisite places filled with jewellery and gold.

We watch videos of our government telling us that the economy is growing fast, as we sit on used mattresses in our tiny rented flats.

I learn that you can do no wrong when you have Money and Power. When you have the twin assets of Money and Power, you can break every rule and buy your own freedom when things get sour. On the other hand, if you are poor and had to steal milk powder for your starving kid, too bad - you have to go to jail.

There is no moral distinction in my generation, there is only what Money and Power can or cannot do. That is what I learned.

My father told me that he lived through the time of Merdeka. His pride of being Malaysian is coupled with the intention of serving his country with dignity and integrity.

When Malaysia was released from the clutches of colonial power upon the thunderous chant of “Merdeka!”, our parents announced a nation’s intention of achieving an inclusive, prosperous, and righteous society.

Tunku Abdul Rahman and Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman were leaders synonymous with integrity. They had a deep resolve to create a democracy that was responsible, responsive, and respected.

They cared deeply for values of honesty and uprightness, and were willing to forgo short-term gain for long-term commitment. Even in ill health, both men were but two examples of a generation who were willing to sacrifice all in their energy to serve the country.

They knew the burden of governing a country is a heavy one. The highest office of the country is not for personal gain. It is not to enrich yourself and your family at the expense of the people.

Institutions must be independent, and the boundaries between arms of government must never be trespassed.

Erosion of values

But I am not from that generation. I come from a generation that is highly sceptical of authorities that only care to serve themselves.

International newspapers call my nation a corrupt country, and over time, we are normalised and conditioned to believe that that is who we are.

Why spend time working hard to create something when there are shortcuts to Money and Power? Why do we have to prove ourselves on merits when we can just cut a deal and “kaotim” (settle) with someone? Why be morally righteous when our country is morally bankrupt?

My generation is the Lost Generation of get-rich-quick multi-level marketing schemes and “kaotim” culture. My generation’s only glory is that of our parents’ past and a warning of the darkness that lies ahead. My generation is one in which idealism has been lost to pessimism, cynicism, and disillusionment.

But we must realise that we can change this. We have a chance to change this country in the 14th general election and stop the bleeding. We can restart the democratic machine so that our voices will be heard and respected.

We can choose a side that is filled with young faces who understand what we are going through. We can choose a side that’s sincere in rewriting the mission statement so that we are no longer prisoners of our past.

We can choose a side that will reverse our feudalistic culture of worshipping Money and Power, and create a generation of leaders who are fearful of God and the people.

In a generation where leaders can escape punishment with impunity, it lies within our power to seek maximum accountability.

In a generation that has lost its integrity, it lies within our power to create a generation that is most sensitive to honest undertaking and good governance. In a generation lost in the wilderness, it lies within our power to light candles of hope.  

We must vote to save the Lost Generation. Even if we don’t make it in time to save our own generation, we can at least save our children’s.

JAMES CHAI works at a law firm. His voyage in life is made less lonely with a family of deep love, friends of good humour and teachers of selfless giving. This affirms his conviction in the common goodness of people: the better angels of our nature. He tweets at @JamesJSChai.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.