TK Chua

I think our PM is almost delusional when he lamented the people’s lack of understanding of the economic situations in the country. I think he has totally misunderstood why the people were so unsympathetic toward him and the efforts currently undertaken by the government.

As a Chinese Malaysian, it is rather difficult for me to write this piece. But I want to do it anyway because I care for the future of this country. I think the race baiting is getting out of hand.

Dignity is now a big word in Malaysia. But what is it?

Dear PM, I think I am getting tired commenting on your economic policies, including the latest measures to reduce the cost of living. But for the sake of the rakyat, I am appealing to you to reconsider what you have just announced. These measures are just plain silly and devoid of any logic. How we end up doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is simply beyond comprehension.

I like what former minister Rafidah Aziz said about playing “the race card" and “racialising” the country’s problems. We know what she said is nothing new but as a Malay leader, what she said carries weight and is more palatable particularly among the Malay masses. I think the timing of her reminder is most opportune given that the situation in the country is getting edgy.

Minister Paul Low, if you have just sat quietly with your head buried under the sand, I think many would have perfectly understood and tolerated you. After all, we have not expected much from you. You were not even elected and no one for sure knew what you stood for except from during your short tenure in Transparency International- Malaysia.

Look, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid, a compulsory pass in English should have been implemented years ago, certainly not postponed again under your watch. Is the ministry fearful of being evaluated?

The Treasury secretary-general, Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, has come up with some explanations on why the Malaysian ringgit has weakened considerably and why the global economy has become volatile and uncertain.

I refer to Nur Jazlan Mohamed’s comment on the chairpersonship of the public accounts committee (PAC), which according to him, must be held by the ruling party, the BN coalition. According to him, Malaysia still does not have a ‘true’ two-party system and therefore it is not practical for the opposition to chair the PAC.

Chinese Malaysians are now a “valuable commodity”.  When the former home affairs deputy minister (now natural resources and environment minister) was accused of racism, his defence was “how can I be a racist when my wife is Chinese and I have many relatives who are non-Muslims/Malays”. Please don’t get me wrong; I am not here to state whether the accusation against him were justified or not.  It was his answer that fascinated me.

Tony Fernandez and Rafidah Aziz are high-profile individuals.  When AirAsia sues Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), everyone takes notice.

We are constantly being reminded and warned that information disseminated through the social media is not always accurate or truthful and I agree with that. But in Malaysia today, news and information generated through the social media have taken a special significance.

Finally the Sarawak Report ( SR ) website was officially blocked by the government of Malaysia. Whether or not the block would be effective in stifling the flow of information is a separate issue. The official message to Malaysians and the whole world is that the government of Malaysia could no longer tolerate the information as contained or carried in that website.

Each time an incident happens, what else is more convenient than to blame the social media? What else could provide a more convenient excuse to restrict and control the use of social media? But I think social media is here to stay. The authorities shouldn't be wasting time trying to control it. Instead, they should try to educate and make the people, politicians, political parties and NGOs more responsible when posting and communicating on the Net.

We have a prime minister who began with lots of promises. In fact, the word ‘transformation’ was the key and deeply associated with him. We set up Pemandu and came up with transformation programmes that were mind-boggling. We have more acronyms coined for each of all these transformation programmes than we could remember. We have grandiose plans and ambitions. We were on the verge of greatness, so to speak.

What has become of this country today? Have we got any reasoning and rationality left?

When then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad started the Malaysia Incorporated and Privatisation policies in earnest in the 1980s, I never envisaged that these concepts would evolve into the monstrous disasters that we see today.