MP SPEAKS | Government made redundant as we end 2021
MP SPEAKS | As the year ends, I would like to celebrate the real heroes in the country: the ordinary people, including non-Malaysians, who came together to help one another mitigate the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently, the floods.
It is them who make me believe in humanity and humanitarian values.
Our politicians who wash already clean surfaces for photo opportunities and end up being a big nuisance in a disaster zone could learn a thing or two from these common folks.
Whether it’s the kitajagakita or white flag campaign, people came together irrespective of race and religion to ensure the other person has enough food and took it upon themselves to undertake rescue missions to save as many people as possible from drowning.
Many volunteered to be...
MP SPEAKS | As the year ends, I would like to celebrate the real heroes in the country: the ordinary people, including non-Malaysians, who came together to help one another mitigate the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently, the floods.
It is them who make me believe in humanity and humanitarian values.
Our politicians who wash already clean surfaces for photo opportunities and end up being a big nuisance in a disaster zone could learn a thing or two from these common folks.
Whether it’s the kitajagakita or white flag campaign, people came together irrespective of race and religion to ensure the other person has enough food and took it upon themselves to undertake rescue missions to save as many people as possible from drowning.
Many volunteered to be a part of my team while individuals and non-governmental organisations chipped in with meals, water, cleaning equipment, detergents, mattresses, care packs, and groceries.
If I step back and look at this from a broader perspective, I realise the government was made completely redundant.
It’s as if we don’t need a government, especially one which cares two hoots about the well-being of its people.
In fact, ruling politicians proved how toxic they actually are by printing banners and posting their party logos on grocery boxes when getting aid to the flood survivors on time was crucial.
And the money could have been spent in providing more resources to those who had lost homes and other essentials in the floods.
Moving into the new year, I hope we can continue to embrace these values of compassion and unconditional love for one another.
I hope we can not just go beyond race and religion but also nationality and continue to celebrate unity in diversity.
I hope we understand how powerful we can be if we stand as one.
It’s been a challenging year, with the loss of income and livelihood. And recently, the loss of homes.
We also saw an unprecedented rise of xenophobia and shameless play of religion on politics. We saw persistent efforts to drive a wedge between us. But we have persevered and can continue to do so together.
May the new year bring with it healing and peace.
CHARLES SANTIAGO is Klang MP.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
