Sunday, February 15, 2009

When will Malaysian politicians tackle the real issues?

I'm really, really sad and disgusted with Malaysian politicians today (at least with most of them). Don't they know that the citizens are really suffering from this economic slowdown or slump or whatever you want to call it?

Then why are you guys just soooooo interested in wresting power here and there, in by-elections, in party elections, in petty political matters? You people should all jump off buildings for all we care!

People are actually having difficulty to pay their mortgages and rent, their cars and motorcycles monthly payments, buying foods and diapers for their babies. Come-on lah woi! Malaysian babies are suffering inadequate nutrients and care but you politicians talk politics only! Lancaulah! (I'm so pissed off bcoz I may have to downgrade my baby's brand of milk, wtf!)

Address the real issues. And it's so particularly difficult for us the urban so-so income class, with astronomical parking charges, tolls and so on. I just can't imagine what the urban poor are facing.

At least I come across this just now, an interview with Datuk JJ, an UMNO VP candidate. It's not so focused on politics, makes a fresh change. Read it all for yourself here.

As for this blog, i'm just gonna post these part which is relevant to what I'm feeling.

"But I see it as a cue for BN and Umno to look for new ways in managing our success and to revise our approaches in facing the challenges of 21st century Malaysia.

Q: What sort of challenges?

A: One big challenge is the management of the demographic changes. For instance, statistics show that given a city that has a population of 100,000, two-thirds are now urban Malays, unlike before when the majority were Chinese.

Policies such as the National Economic Policy have to take into account these new demographic changes.

If the country focused on eradicating poverty irrespective of race in rural areas before, we must now focus on those low-income groups in the cities, regardless of race and religion.

You have those living and working in the city earning below RM1,500; they must be helped.

We need to find ways to boost their income and meet their housing and transport needs. Such issues and challenges surely will be at the forefront of the agenda under the new leadership.

New policies need to be structured in order to continue and sustain the country's successes, and allow the young to create their own success stories and achieve their dreams.

People no longer fight and protest only for their basic needs like water or electricity; they also strive for greater human rights, civil liberties, justice and so on.

Yet, we still need to solve the bread and butter issues, especially in the rural areas."


and some more here he said,

"Q: You were minister of finance when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister. How do you view our position in the next couple of years vis-a-vis the global meltdown?

A: We may want to revisit some of the economic models in this country. We may have gone overboard with the laissez faire free market model. Recently we have seen the failure of the unfettered free market model in the United States.

For instance, low-cost housing and public transport have to be government-led and not private sector-led.

You should only allow people to make money when it is a market product and not a social product, which is why low-cost housing, for example, should be handled by the government.

The same goes with regard to public transport. It is a basic need of the low income community. It will also help manage the traffic congestion that currently pervades our towns and cities.

Put these public products or social products in the hands of private companies and the objective will always be money and how to obtain the highest returns, which then translates into higher costs to the public.

We all realise that public transportation and public low-cost housing need to be delivered at affordable level to benefit the low-income group.

It is the duty of the government to provide for and develop such social products for public good."


Spot on.

I know we all have issues with JJ. But credit where it's due.


The regular people could use some help and visionary solution

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