Sense of disappointment rife as Merdeka Day nears
By PAULINE NG
KL CORRESPONDENT
Business Times
MALAYSIA is about to celebrate its 50th year of independence in less
than a month. But except for the 'Merdeka articles' in the dailies,
one hardly gets a sense of a nation on the cusp of a golden
anniversary, happy with what it has achieved so far, and ready and
confident - and united - in facing the challenges of a globalised world.
Indeed, the Merdeka spirit is so muted that it has even become
apparent to the government. Minister of Domestic Trade & Consumer
Affairs Shafie Apdal has expressed disappointment at the lack of
Merdeka bonhomie displayed by the private sector and has seen fit to
announce tax exemptions and discounts on electricity tariffs to
business owners so they will be encouraged to fly the national flag,
as well as to 'light up' this month in the spirit of celebrations.
Individuals haven't been offered the same carrots but the need to
induce businesses with tax breaks on such a historic occasion seems
surprising - but then again, maybe not.
On the surface, Malaysia appears to be in good shape. Its
infrastructure is quite advanced and the economy is poised to grow
about 6 per cent this year and next. The stock market has been on an
upward trend even though it took a hit from last week's US sub-prime
fears - as did most markets. And the government has come up with at
least three massive development plans in recent times with another
two slated in the near future to ensure greater participation for all
in Malaysia's economic growth in the future.
Why then, instead of a celebratory mood, is there this palpable sense
of angst, fear, uncertainty among a not inconsiderable portion of the
population?
Those unhappy with where Malaysia is headed span many levels of
society and even include Perak crown prince Raja Nazrin Shah. Raja
Nazrin has been increasingly pointed in his public observations. This
week, he said those with a chequered past or clear evidence of
questionable morality should be prevented from taking public office.
Previously, he had spoken of the need for Malaysia to be an inclusive
society, to ensure everyone is assured of a place under the Malaysian
sun.
Overcome with emotion at times during the launch of The Reluctant
Politician - a biography on Ismail Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's former
deputy prime minister who died aged 53 in the 1970s - he observed Dr
Ismail had been a true Malay patriot, but not a racist. Equally
crucial, he was known as a man of principles who brooked no corruption.
In 2004, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi won a landslide
majority on a promise to treat all equally and to tackle corruption.
Mr Abdullah will seek a new mandate soon but few believe corruption
has been reined in.
And now the plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on growth
corridors and development projects in the coming years are being met
with mounting scepticism. Will these projects, like many before them,
also end up as white elephants built at the expense of other
programmes which would produce better economic benefits?
The Port Klang Free Zone fiasco is but one recent example of a
project gone wrong for reasons yet to be explained. Costs to develop
the zone ballooned by more than four times from RM1.1 billion to
RM4.6 billion (S$2 billion), and yet the zone remains a ghost town.
On the talent front, Malaysia's brain drain is accelerating, and is
being replaced, not by skilled talents, but by an exponential rise in
low-skilled foreign labour. Going by the current trends, the
Malaysian Institute of Economic Research projects that the current
2.7 million legal and illegal foreign workers in the country will
rise to around 5 million by 2010, or nearly a fifth of the total
population.
By fate or fortune, Mr Abdullah has the privilege of being the
country's leader in what is a landmark year of independence. If his
administration chose to listen, what they would hear is this: there
is little accountability, the racial and religious divide is
widening, crime is going up and foreign investment, as well as high-
value job creation, is going down. It should be hardly a surprise
that not many are in the mood to celebrate.
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