Mahathir's Neverending War on Malaysians

As Malaysians today grapple with the realities of successive incompetent and ineffective governments – it is easy forget that around this time some three years ago, many of us were excited at the prospect of a new chapter in our country’s history.

Yet what lay in store for us was years of political instability, mired by infighting and conflicting agendas, with the only constant factor being the presence of the elder statesman, Tun Mahathir.

Despite being elected on a platform that promised a more equitable society, we were ultimately barraged with the same-old, same-old “the poor don’t work hard enough” narrative that is synonymous with Mahathir.

What Malaysians actually asked for was a new vision that represents Malaysia Baru - one that includes Malaysians from all walks of life.

Instead we got a return to Malaysia Lama - one that is characterized by Mahathir’s own brand of outdated and dangerous thinking.

Take for example his mentality on the poor, where Malaysians remain poor because they are “unproductive” and “do not contribute to society in a way where society would repay them”.

Does this include our paddy farmers, fishermen or factory workers - who tirelessly work to earn a living under increasingly tough economic circumstances?

Or your average Foodpanda or Grab Drivers who are unable to find jobs despite their higher education due to our government’s continued submission to private sector players that flourish by paying peanuts to foreign workers?

The everyday Malaysian man, woman and child are asked to tighten their belts and hold their noses with the expectation that their elected representatives will do the same.

Instead, we have a government that considers buying a new fleet of Vellfires while cutting down on social spending.

Inequality is being felt by Malaysians of all backgrounds–our economic growth has not been accompaniedwith parallel job expansion and wage increases. A large proportion of our population live on income levels of less than USD 1,000 a month.

In a special report for the State of the World's Children 2019, the UNICEF had highlighted that families living in low cost flat in Kuala Lumpur are struggling to put nutritious food on the table. This is despite them working full-time to make ends meet. But their low pay means that they are often exposed to shocks in life, such as medical emergency, while juggling their limited budget in catering to the family’s needs due to the high costs of living.

One of the household’s interviewed only has a household income of RM800 despite the husband installing wallpaper and flooring, herself selling kuih and ice-cream, the daughter making chocolate treats to sell, and the sons working part time in factory and sundry shop to supplement the family’s income. Could Mahathir’s family understand this? Or are they too busy sitting in their bubble – while exploiting the hopes and dreams of the rakyat for clean governance. Do they fill the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while nestled in the Mines?

At the same time, the much-maligned GST has been abolished, but its replacement in SST has barely dented and even increased the cost of living for families everywhere.

In GE-14, the higher cost of living provoked a tax revolt that was fuelled by a sense of economic instability– an issue that will be pointed towards Pakatan Harapan if things remain the same.

Beyond this economic anxiety, Malaysians feel an intense cultural anxiety. The new culture wars we see today will be bitter fights for the right to define our national identity.

The honeymoon period is over, and what we are seeing are successive governments that seems to be actively seeking to lower the bar on how to act when in power.

So who’s the real unproductive ones now Mahathir?