NOVEMBER 8 ― There was a time when those who lead us knew what it was like to go hungry, to stay awake at night worrying about their children’s future and to live on a shoestring budget.
Many of the nation’s fathers including Datuk Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak spent their own money and resources on attaining freedom for this nation and bringing the people together through the establishment of organisations and political parties ― sometimes at the expense of their own families, their wives even pawning their jewellery for the country.
That was a time of sacrifice for everyone. Even the Sultans were implementing austerity measures in the Royal households as the war took its toll on the economy and the fight for Merdeka required everyone to chip in.
Fast forward almost 60 years later and we are governed by many from privileged backgrounds. Those who had the privilege of an overseas education never understood the meaning of sacrifice and tightening one’s belt and place their own children in international schools while shamelessly holding education portfolios and espousing the merits of the national education system.
These are the folks who dine at restaurants in Bangsar Shopping Centre and go for nightcaps at the city’s 5-Star hotels. The ones who look awkward sitting with folded legs on the floor of a rundown kampung house while visiting an ailing constituent while presenting plastic bags containing rice and condensed milk.
I have no issues with the “ruling elite”. In fact in a borderless world we need highly educated and global leaders to govern us as we have to be competitive against other nations.
However, what is also important are leaders who understand the fears and aspirations of those they seek to govern. Because the moment they lose touch with the people, they become distant and unable to emphatise with the rakyat. And that is where disastrous policies will take shape.
Sadly we have seen some examples of this detachment from reality, from the words that come out of the mouths of our ministers.
With the cost of living going up, through no fault of the rakyat, it is uncalled for to add insult to injury by advocating eating RM2 nasi lemak bungkus especially when the dining table of the leaders are laden with opulent dishes including banned delicacies like turtle eggs!
On one hand, the government wants us to be a high income nation while on the other, it tells its people to drive taxis and go into ride sharing services?
Are we to become a nation of nasi lemak bungkus-eating taxi drivers? Or RM50 demonstrators (plus the requisite nasi lemak bungkus?) Is that all the government aspires for its people?
What are our leaders trying to prove by raising the price of cooking oil and saying that it is still cheaper than mineral water? Will the cooks in their houses dare use the less superior, albeit still subsidised cooking oil that comes in 1kg plastic bags? Will they serve RM2 nasi lemak bungkus to their house masters?
As it is, people are either spending more for essentials or implementing austerity measures. So this cannot be good for the rakyat as it indicates that the cost of living has gone up, along with household debt although wages remain the same.
Of course many of our policy makers may not relate to this. How many of them or their spouses do the weekly grocery shopping? The only time they are seen buying anything is at the Ramadan bazaar for the benefit of the press cameras.
The handing out of alms like BR1M cannot be a good thing for a country that wants to become a high-income nation when many are still depending on this welfare scheme that the government seems to be so proud of.
Will we see the country plummeting to the likes of Venezuela, the world’s worst performing economy according to the International Monetary Fund ― caused by a downward spiral of the country’s currency and its dependency on food imports?
The ringgit is at its worst and our food security is non-existent; we are even importing rice!
But it’s okay, some bright spark will espouse the pleasures of eating ubi kayu cicah ikan bilis tumbuk, while at home he has nasi lauk ayam rendang waiting for him.
It is a reminder of the famous words of Mary Antoinette when told that the people are starving as they have no bread to eat. “Let them eat cake,” she said.
We all know how that worked out.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
