Malaysians wants a socially responsible government
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 16, 2008
Arbibi Ashoy

The election results were a wake-up call to our present government. If nothing changes, Barisan Nasional will be voted out of power in five years to come. The young voters of today are open minded, dynamic and with strong idealistic beliefs. The youth are willing to take chances and are modern and forward-thinking. MCPX

There is a Malay proverb ‘Buang yang keroh, ambil yang jernih’ or in English it is ‘Out with the old and in with the new’. Either our government stays relevant or it will be relegated to the pages of history.

So what do the youth of today want? First of all, it's freedom and respect. Malaysia's legal system is a sewer full of ancient draconian laws which go against the grain of human rights and dignity. People are demanding for the Hindraf members detained under the ISA to be released. In fact, the entire ISA laws should be repealed along with all the other draconian laws which forbid peaceful assemblies, the right to talk and meet in public, the right to think and to put your thoughts to paper and so forth.

The youth of today can no longer tolerate the chains of repression. The ISA is a corrupt and immoral law which has no place in the civillised and democratic society which Malaysians want.

Malaysians want a fair society. We want the police force to treat non-VIPs with equal importance and equal urgency as compared to VVIPs.

In fact, it is the disadvantaged who deserve special treatment. An example would be in having more parking bays for the handicapped instead of more parking bays for the privileged members of society.

Social justice is just as important because we live in a pyramid society where the majority of Malaysian citizens are at the bottom of the pyramid and live on a basis of ‘from hand to mouth’ which means the minimal subsistence or as the Malays would say ‘Kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang’.

Many Malaysians live below the poverty level, such as the estate Indians, the Malay farmers and the Orang Asli (the aboriginal peoples). However, many other Malaysians are poor as well and scrounge for every sen.

These Malaysians are represented by all three main ethnic races, the Malays (bumiputeras), Chinese and Indians. If Barisan Nasional wants to improve its standing with the rakyat, it has to do more to alleviate poverty.

The government needs to study the social structure of developed countries and imitate the policies adopted there such as the use of minimum wage computations, pension funds, medical assistance for the poor, education grants, retraining and unemployment benefits, promotion based on seniority, job security and retrenchment benefits, government assistance to single parents, families with special children and extra attention to school students who lag behind or need counselling.

Whoever can provide the electorate in Malaysia in a caring environment deserves our votes. The next five years will be an exciting time.

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