COMMENT | I bought two roti canai for breakfast. Flooded them with dhaal and sprinkled some ikan bilis (fried anchovies) which I requested from the nasi lemak (coconut rice) aunty for that extra crunch. I gobbled it down with a glass of kopi ‘o’ kaw-kaw (thick black coffee). It cost me RM3 in total.

My heavy breakfast usually keeps me full until three-ish in the afternoon. As my stomach begins to grumble, begging to be fed, I’d help myself to coffee and two slices of toast with butter at the office pantry. Occasionally, I’d add slices of banana on my toast – it would keep me going until it’s time for dinner.

Dinner would usually be at my favourite stall in Tanjung Tokong. Sometimes I’d have a plate of pasembor (salad with sweet and spicy peanut sauce), sometimes it's laksa utara (fish-based noodle soup). Both cost RM5. When I get really hungry, then it’s the RM10 plate of special fried rice which comes with chicken and prawns.

Once in a while, when I’ve had an extremely long day, then it’s Domino’s pizza for dinner. Their "Buy 1 Free 2" promotion for a little over RM30 would give me two regular pizzas and a bread product – that would be my dinner for three nights in a row.

This is routine for me.

As a working single mother, every ringgit counts – especially since I am subjected to a compulsory 30 percent salary cut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Besides my own food, rent, utilities and expenses to pay for, I am also responsible for my university-going children’s expenses and car loans. And having my ten-year-old car breaking down every now and then doesn’t make things any easier for me.

My friend "David" (not his real name) has it even worse. A hotelier before the pandemic, he now drives a Grab car to make ends meet. At one point, he even submitted himself to doing odd jobs, earning less than cashiers at supermarkets.

David and I are working-class people who are feeling the backlash of the pandemic. I believe we are not the only ones facing such challenging times for there are many of our Malaysian brothers and sisters who are experiencing worse situations compared to us.

Some are managing with whatever they have left – like my colleague Kabil who has vowed not to spend another ringgit on non-essential purchases. Some have adapted to the new scenario by making a complete change – like my cousin Jasmin, a housewife who now sells food online. Some are still confused about what just hit them – like my neighbour Mr Singh, a musician who is still at home most of the time, unable to perform.

And some have given up – like the young pilot who had committed suicide after having lost his job.

The world right now is indeed in a terrible situation. No one thought it would be this tough.

Ordinary lavish meal

When I read about the RM6,525 lunch enjoyed by a group of government MPs recently which included our very own Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, my heart sank.

I do not hold this non-elected government to high standards of moral and principles and I believe they also do not hold themselves to any high standards of moral and principles, however, downplaying such a lavish meal as "ordinary" at a time when the people are struggling, is just disgusting.

During the initial movement control order (MCO) a few months ago when Muhyiddin used "Makcik Kiah, Madam Lee, Haji Salleh" and "Surjit Kaur" as examples in his speeches, people took a great liking to him instantly. All the Makcik Kiah, Madam Lee, Haji Salleh and Surjit Kaurs in Malaysia somehow felt he understood their struggle and related to them.

I don’t think any of them would approve an RM6,525 lunch. Most likely, Makcik Kiah would be disappointed in Muhyiddin and his MPs for such waste.

I am sure our MPs are aware of their bad conduct, I don’t think they are stupid. Unfortunately, at a time when trust is low and contempt is high, they don’t appear to even try to improve. 

They seem not to understand that trust is what the people give them when they earn it, not what they get because they are where they happen to be.

These MPs must be reminded that although they were not elected by the public, they need to start behaving with civility and respect if they want more trust from the public. They must act in the public interest, rather than serving private interest.

One of the foundations of our democratic institutions is the social contract between the people and their chosen representatives. Even if these representatives are incapable of conducting themselves with integrity, they should at least stop behaving like they are entitled.

FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a director, a struggling producer, a photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.

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

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