To the Honourable Members of Parliament,

As a humble Malaysian citizen, I would first like to define just what exactly you were elected to do.

As members of the legislative branch, all 222 of you were elected to discuss, create, repeal and consider the Malaysian legislation which is currently used to govern the nation.

Your second duty as elected representatives is to represent the concerns of your respective electorate on a national scale.

You do not represent just those who voted for you, nor do you put priority on your own kin or friends.

This is what, in my opinion, you were elected to do.

That being said, if there is an unjust law or law that is considered no longer relevant by your electorate, it is your duty to ensure it is repealed.

Even logic dictates that as long as it exists it will be abused.

The fact that some still think it wise to contest the enforcement of the law, selective or otherwise, when the law itself is flawed, is stupid.

The fact that you take to the streets instead of raising such motions in parliament and the state assemblies with a call to censure is also stupid.

The fact that you want the people to cry over the lacking of a bed, a table and being kept awake due to mosquitoes, while asking for permission to meet the Agong for tea is, as well, far beyond stupid.

Similarly, when there is an urging for public declaration of assets, we are not talking about a declaration to the president of your party. Such a thing is not considered public, and such a statement is a level of idiocy beyond comprehension.

Parliament is currently in session, and by far the major concerns of the people is not the replacement of a 16-year-old jet.

The concerns of the rakyat

It is about the rise in violent crimes to the point that someone making a withdrawal at an ATM can find themselves hacked and robbed. It is about the lack of funding to combat corruption or the apathy against overspending highlighted constantly by the auditor-general.

It is the apparently ‘shocking’ drop in our rankings in education.

It is about the need for securing water, lowering pollution, increasing low-cost housing and bolstering incomes of the people who cannot even afford a meal, let alone be expected to cope with the goods and services tax (GST).

It is about the need to combat the dengue epidemic which has now killed hundreds and affected tens of thousands, without hospitals being able to cope with such an influx in cases, as high as a 254 percent increase.

It is about decreasing household debts and regulating taxes and government-linked company and agency spending and investments.

It is about increasing budgets to environmental protection agencies and monitoring authorities, as well as publicly backing them to combat illegal logging, as well as farming which have caused subsequent disasters.

These are all matters that must be brought to light in this sitting of Parliament as well as the state assembly sessions.

It is not a grandstand for you to turn diva. It is not for you to raise your personal issues or to promote measures that have no bearing on the needs and wants of the people.

It is your job until 2018 to make sure that such items raised above are remedied and settled as soon as possible through the introduction of bills for debate into legislation which will require the political and moral backing of the executive and legislative branches to work.

So please, stop with the sandiwaras and do your jobs, Honourable Members of Parliament. Earn your salaries and do what you’ve been elected to do.