COMMENT | Nine wishes for Anwar from middle-class voters

COMMENT | Please don’t neglect the loyal urban middle-class supporters of the New Malaysia. This is my request to the unity government.

Sure, we understand that most help needs to be given to the poorer B40 folks. But there are many things that can be done for us loyal voters, without incurring too much cost.

So here’s my wishlist. 

1) Make one video clear?

Let me start off with something naughty. There was an infamous gay sex video from Sandakan allegedly involving a senior politician. The police confirmed that the video is authentic but said it was not sharp enough to identify the duo in bed. 

Will “new technology” (or new political will) allow this video to become “clearer”? 

But jokes aside, can the image of our police force be cleaned up? After the devastating revelations by former inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador about dirty cops, can our homes and streets become safe again? Will the IPCMC be finally set up?

2) Reform gambling

Kudos to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his rapid-fire “housekeeping list” to fix the country, especially in reviewing dubious deals like Digital Nasional Berhad’s 5G implementation. It sure feels like the winds of change are blowing strongly, compared to the reluctant breezes when Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over in 2018.

It’s great that the four-digit special draws have been reduced to eight per year after being increased to 22 during the supposedly “more Muslim” rule of Muhyiddin Yassin.

It is widely believed that gambling companies have long been compelled to give “donations” to certain politicians to continue their operations, as implied by Anwar (above).

Gambling is not exactly a healthy habit but some Chinese claim that it’s a “cultural right”. But bans are futile and merely drive it underground.

OK, rather than allowing only towkays (and politicians) to benefit, let’s revive the social welfare lottery that Malaysia had back in the 1970s and 80s. Not under the government, but under a charitable foundation. The profits can be used to help poor non-Muslims, Chinese/Tamil schools, etc. It will be something like a big church raffle.

This way, a dubious hobby can at least be repurposed to help society. While we’re at it, the government should also have programmes to treat gambling addiction. 

3) Vehicle headlights, exhausts

How about something that we can feel in our everyday lives? Can the police enforce existing rules against blinding, ultra-bright headlights, and super-loud/smoky exhaust pipes? Can the Public Works Department quickly fix all potholes and remove tree branches blocking road signs?

These will all be small but strong ways to show that the New Malaysia has arrived – on our roads at least. And they don’t cost much either.

4) Undercover officers

Similar to how Transport Minister Anthony Loke went incognito to inspect the LRT, how about having undercover officers catch litterbugs, like in Singapore? A clean Malaysia should not only be free from corruption but should also be free from rubbish! The symbolism will be powerful.

These incognito agents can also catch cops asking for duit kopi at roadblocks, or call up loan sharks’ telephone numbers (advertised on stickers all over town) to arrest them.

Don’t limit it to small fries. Go for the big sharks too, as Global Witness did with an undercover sting operation to expose senior Sarawakian politicians allegedly grabbing the land of hapless natives.

5) Orange T-shirts

OK, here’s another cheeky suggestion. All those who have been charged (or found guilty) of corruption must wear the orange MACC lock-up T-shirts!

Please, don’t allow these crooks to look so classy with their expensive suits and ties. And oh, they should not be brought to court in fancy black SUVs either. They should sit hunched over in the grungy police Black Maria because they are worse than ordinary criminals, having robbed far more money. 

If any Perikatan Nasional leaders are found to have abused part of the mega RM600 billion allocation during former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s emergency rule, the bright orange T-shirts will show the public that their so-called clean “green” religious veneer is fake.

6) Ask the rich to help more

It’s fantastic that Anwar has pressured Bernas owner Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary to donate RM60 million to poor rice farmers. Since the tycoon is clearly still able to make profits, one can only wonder, how much did he have to “donate” to politicians in the past to maintain his rice monopoly?

What other companies hold monopolies or other rent-seeking positions in the economy? Toll highway operators? While waiting for all this to be restructured, can they be asked to cough up more for society on a “voluntary” basis?

7) E-scooters and cycling lanes

The main problem for our public transport is the “first and last mile”. This is because our spread-out terrace houses are far from MRT/LRT or even bus stops. 

Can we have more bicycle or e-scooter lanes, say in a 2km radius, around LRT/MRT stations? This will make it cheaper for people to access the stations rather than having to pay for Grab Car rides.

Former transport minister Wee Ka Siong had imposed a short-sighted ban on e-scooters rather than doing more work to regulate and optimise this alternate mode of transport.

I hope the new minister Anthony Loke will take a more progressive view. The future is electric – not only in terms of fancy Tesla cars but also in humble e-scooters. And of course, good old bicycles are the healthiest way to commute.

8) Local council elections

In my previous column, I listed local council elections as one of nine ways to bring Malays and non-Malays together. So, it’s disappointing to hear the new Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming saying that this will not be the “immediate focus” of his ministry.

The old racial arguments against this no longer apply because 77 percent of Malaysians – of all races – now live in cities. For example, Kuala Lumpur has 45.9 percent Bumiputera, 43.2 percent Chinese, and 10.3 percent Indians.

To reduce ethnic issues, we can also make it a condition that councillors must be elected in multiracial teams, in ways similar to Singapore’s GRCs (group representation constituencies). Cities are where Malaysians of all races live close together and should be the ideal showcase of moderate, cross-cultural cooperation.

Local elections should be done at least for Kuala Lumpur, as city folks lack a second vote to choose a state government.

9) Soft flood infrastructure 

Anwar also announced that RM7 billion in direct tender flood mitigation projects will be reviewed. Most probably, the cost of these projects can be reduced if overpriced middlemen are cut out.

I hope the new government also remembers that flood mitigation is not just about big, hard engineering projects (like the Smart Tunnel), but also “soft infrastructure” such as having more greenery to absorb rainwater. This is the “sponge city” approach. 

For example, turning public car parks into half-grass, half-concrete lots, encouraging homes to do rainwater harvesting with tax discounts, and maintaining surrounding forest reserves. 

Conclusion

These are some wishes to show the loyal urban middle-class supporters of the New Malaysia that change is relevant to them too, not just the B40. Some may seem small but they have powerful symbolic value.

At least, we can be reminded that our votes have not been “meaningless”. So there will be less need to plead with people to come out and vote next time. 

ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.

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

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