At this time of an economic crisis and with the government working on multi-billion ringgit stimulus plan, it is also the best time to re-assess the size of our economy and the employment culture of our citizens.

There is no use in having a sizeable economy if it is filled with a lot of unethical or haram businesses which, in the end, turn our workforce into unskilled zombies which will go on to cost the government a lot of money in all kinds of subsidies or health benefits.

The worst part is when an economy is fuelled by greedy and unethical capitalists who exploit their workers to produce unethical or haram products which do a lot of harm to the economy itself.

China’s rapid growth in the last 20 years or so is a good example. We have seen all kinds of industrial scandals in their toy industry, infant formulas, etc which in the end caused a lot of damage to the country’s economy, threw thousands of people out of their jobs and resulted in huge expenses to that government’s coffers.

Also, we do not know how many of these desperate workers - who obviously find it hard to get new employment due to their advancing age and higher salary expectations - are turning to crime or to the black economy to stay alive.

Deputy Women’s, Family and Community Development Minister Noriah Kasnon recently lamented that despite contributing a higher productivity to the company, employers tend to get rid of their female workers first.

Many of these older female workers who have families to feed and are without much skills, can be easily lured into the vice industry.

In addition to the liquor and the gaming industries which tend to expand when the economy turns sour, the government should also re-assess our tourism industry which I think is causing a lot of harm to our economy.

Of course, AirAsia is saying that it is contributing a lot to our economy by bringing in a lot of tourists from China but the question is, have studies been made on the pros and cons of this indiscriminate encouragement of tourists from all over?

Great Britain, which until recently had been quite magnanimous towards visitors from Malaysia, is reviewing its entry regulation because many Malaysians are said to have abused their six-month visa free facility.

And yet, Malaysia (as if our livelihoods depend on this sector like Thailand) is still issuing entry visas on arrival to the whole world.

In the case of Malaysia, even Wanita MCA is against the employment of housemaids from China, not to mention the young Chinese female tourists from China who arrive here purportedly to study.

Many of these young women from China are nothing but globe-trotting sex workers who cost our police and the immigration a lot of time and money in nabbing and departing them back to China.

There are thousands of these Chinese women who have overstayed their visas and gone underground and are now hiding in our cities and towns. Some of them are quietly kept as mistresses by Malaysians themselves.

As for the economic stimulus package which will be announced soon, I urge the government to generously facilitate learning and training course for our citizens irrespective of age to learn just about everything so that our citizens are equipped with skills and knowledge for several trades.

This is the best weapon for our citizens to face, adapt and fight any economic crisis.