COMMENT | The VIP culture is ruining this country
COMMENT | With the Covid-19 pandemic showing no sign of abating, Malaysia has been hit hard by another calamity.
The recent floods that affected a significant part of Selangor and several other states have had a devastating impact on hundreds of families.
Media reports estimate that at least 60,000 individuals have been displaced, but the actual number of people that have suffered (physically and mentally) from the floods is not fully known.
We have seen in the media, social media and WhatsApp, images of trapped people pleading for help, damaged and soiled houses, cars submerged in mud, and traumatised children.
COMMENT | With the Covid-19 pandemic showing no sign of abating, Malaysia has been hit hard by another calamity.
The recent floods that affected a significant part of Selangor and several other states have had a devastating impact on hundreds of families.
Media reports estimate that at least 60,000 individuals have been displaced, but the actual number of people that have suffered (physically and mentally) from the floods is not fully known.
We have seen in the media, social media and WhatsApp, images of trapped people pleading for help, damaged and soiled houses, cars submerged in mud, and traumatised children.
Needless to say, the support and solidarity shown by the public – Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike – have been heartwarming. People from all walks of life, and from all over the country, have not only sent donations and aid but travelled long distances to offer their time and energy.
Some came to offer their canoes, some cleaned up partially damaged houses, some paddled children (and even dogs) to safety and some spent days and nights coordinating and mobilizing aid.
All these are positive signs. They give us hope that, despite all the predicaments, we can walk out of these ‘storms’ stronger than ever, as long as we are united.
Still, a question remains: What have we done wrong in our handling of the Covid-19 and flood crises? There are many issues, no doubt.
The list of ‘problems’ is long and gets longer each day. But one pertinent issue I would like to highlight here is the ‘culture of VIP’ among a segment of our society that has caused a lot of headaches to our frontliners and law enforcers who try to carry out their job.
It is no secret that some people from the ‘higher social class’ in this country carry a delusional ‘sense of entitlement’. They not only make demands for special treatment and ‘permission’ to evade the law, but they also believe that such exemptions are justified.
While their special status is regarded as normal, it is not for others. Breaching the law is a ‘privilege’ for them, but a ‘horrendous crime’ for the laypeople.
In their worldview, there are two sets of laws and regulations; one that fits their special status, and another that is for the common people.
Thus, it is not uncommon that these people can openly (or not-so-secretly) violate the quarantine rules and movement restriction orders with impunity, while ordinary people who commit the same ‘mistake’ are ruthlessly punished, and sometimes even publicly shamed.
Likewise, we have seen the behaviour of some of these privileged individuals in the current flood crisis, ranging from acting indifferent and making ignorant statements to seeking cheap popularity.
At the same time, we witnessed how some Malaysians who usually belong to middle- or lower-income groups – along with defenceless migrants – are portrayed as ‘not compliant’, ‘needing greater control’ and ‘looting public properties’.
But wealthy and influential individuals who deliberately and arrogantly infringe the rules often evade any consequences and remain free and untouched. Lest we forget, some of these very same people have been ‘looting’ the national wealth for decades.
The only difference between the first and second circumstances of looting is the social status of the perpetrator and the degree of sophistication in the method employed.
If we continue to let this group of people stay above the law, or apply a different set of rules to them, the country will continue to face one crisis after another.
No nation can prosper and truly progress – be it economically, politically, socially, or in terms of health and well-being – when inequalities are widespread and as accepted as ‘normal’.
It is difficult to teach our children and the younger generation altruism, patriotism or nation-building values if we continue to live in this double standard.
We have no choice but to speak loudly against this unjust privilege held by some politicians, celebrities, business tycoons and the so-called upper-class groups who see themselves as deserving of special treatment in times of national crises, often at the expense of other people.
Without fairness and equality, no rule or regulation can achieve its intended purposes, nor can people have trust in the authorities and in one another.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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