Malaysia’s strength lies in its multiracial mosaic

AS National Day, marking 65 years of independence, approaches, Malaysia continues to face many challenges: The plethora of financial scandals, incessant corruption, an escalating cost of living, food insecurity and climate change are some of them.

Financial scandals and corruption in the country over the years has been alarming. The billions of ringgit lost could have been used to improve the quality of life of millions of Malaysians in many ways. The emphasis on integrity among the people must be the government’s top priority.

Much more needs to be done to check the escalating cost of living which is adversely affecting the people, especially those in the B40 (lower income) and M40 (middle income) groups. The government should rope in economic pundits to come up with solutions for this huge problem – Malaysia is not short of such talent, after all.

Certainly, we had unanticipated global developments like Covid-19 in 2020 and the Russia-Ukraine war this year contributing to some of our problems as they disrupted global supply chains. Nevertheless, I see little progress in ways to improve Malaysia’s food security and tackle climate change.

I don’t see any concrete food security proposals from the government. According to reports, Malaysia imported nearly RM55bil worth of food products last year. The high import bill is cause for concern, especially when our ringgit depreciates, as it has over the last few months.

Why is the government not coming up with long-term solutions to ensure food security? Why has there not been proposals to develop a food ecosystem completely along the value chain, incorporating R&D, integrated farming, manufacturing, logistics, marketing and distribution? Why can’t we develop food cooperatives as in Denmark?

And seldom do I read in the media about efforts undertaken by the government to deal with climate change – a serious problem confronting all nations in the world. What are the concrete steps being taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that are dangerously warming the planet? What are the tangible policies being implemented to move aggressively towards green and clean energy?

Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of sunshine so why doesn’t the government aggressively promote the use of solar energy in all aspects of our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint? We must strive towards becoming a carbon negative nation like Bhutan and Costa Rica. Norway is another country we should follow: By 2025, vehicles using fossil fuels will be banned in that country, paving the way for only electric vehicles on the road.

Another huge problem nowadays is racial polarisation, and it permeates all levels of society. Yet I don’t see tangible measures being undertaken to unite the people so that we will all think of ourselves as Malaysians first before considering ourselves Malays, Chinese, Indians, Punjabis, Kadazans, Dayaks, etc.

We will go a long way towards lessening racial polarisation if we can ensure racially-balanced student mixes in our schools, colleges and universities. Employment in the public and private sectors should also reflect the racial composition of the country. Hopefully, in this way, the different races can mingle until we can eradicate racial polarisation.

Does this make me sound like a dejected Malaysian? Well, I’m not, as I am a pragmatic optimist. We just need good governance. Malaysia has always been – and continues to be – a country of immense possibilities but, sadly, also of squandered opportunities. Good governance would help.

In all fairness, I must say we did quite well handling the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, we did far better than many developed countries and have had far fewer fatalities per head of population, and our vaccine roll-out was commendable.

Another thing to be optimistic about: Malaysians are fortunate to have access to virtually free public healthcare. Much to our credit, no one is ever turned away from any public hospital or clinic on the grounds of his or her station in life. Definitely a remarkable feat for any country, and it is a privilege we have been enjoying since our independence in 1957!

Some of our public hospitals still have very good and dedicated medical personnel whose services are exemplary. We also have a world-renowned health institute in the National Heart Institute (IJN). I can personally vouch for the quality of the IJN, which offers Malaysians first-class cardiovascular treatment, as I was a patient there in February 2022. It has excellent medical and non-medical staff who discharged their duties with passion and dedication.

Despite the criticisms levelled at our civil service, there are still admirable civil servants in agencies like the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB). Staff at the PCB are known for discharging their duties with zeal and zest. I have lodged numerous complaints with the agency and remedial action was taken. Officers took prompt and personal interest in assisting me, even calling me to get further information on my complaints. Truly remarkable civil servants by any measure! Kudos.

And what of ordinary Malaysians? There are many good and decent people who rise to the occasion with acts of kindness, humanity and compassion daily. There are also those who take an interest in their neighbourhoods and endeavour to make a difference in the lives of their surrounding communities.

However, there are also the uncouth, uncivilised and undisciplined Malaysians. A pathetic lot are our rash and careless drivers who deliberately flout traffic rules endangering the lives of other people. And many youngsters using public transportation are very ill-mannered, sitting in seats reserved for seniors, the disabled and pregnant women. They pretend not to see the clear signage, just looking down at their mobiles constantly. What a disgrace they are to society and what a pathetic reflection on their upbringing.

As we approach National Day on Aug 31 and Malaysia Day on Sept 16, let us ponder upon these challenges and other important issues that are seldom highlighted in the media. Malaysia can be a better place if there is less emphasis on race and more on a Malaysian identity.

Malaysia draws its strength as a nation from its multiracial mosaic. Ethnic diversity is a blessing and a boon for any country. Only racist bigots think otherwise. We should celebrate our differences while concurrently treasuring our strokes of good luck.

God bless this country and its people. A happy National Day and Malaysia Day to all Malaysians.

BEN LOPEZ

Kuala Lumpur