Dr. Kamal Amzan
The Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011

MAY 27 — This country is in a mess.

Before I begin, let me just say once and for all that Perkasa doesn’t speak for me. Neither does it speak for my family members and colleagues. Come to think of it, it does not speak for most of my patients, their family members and friends either.

Neither do the politicians and media in cahoots with this group of people with “special needs”. They will never represent me, be it in the present or in the future. Ever.

In case you are wondering, yes I am a tanned Malaysian, a group that Perkasa frequently embarrasses by claiming to represent.

Before they start rattling off their empty cans and pick a new fight, let me remind them that our purchasing power is about a third that of the Europeans. Our first-quarter economic growth at a pathetic 4.6 per cent is behind Singapore, Vietnam and even Indonesia, and while other countries woo talented minds into their midst, we are losing ours left, right and centre, replaced by none other than cheap unskilled foreign workers who are prepared to work harder than an average Malaysian.

Other countries are cutting down on fuel subsidies and consumption, searching for alternative fuel and going green. Many are abandoning their cars, motorbikes and taking to the streets on foot and bicycles and the same time finding ways to increase productivity to offset the expensive fuel.

We, on the other hand, are relying on a constant supply of cheap petrol, since there is no other means of reliable public transport or footpaths for pedestrians to walk on without being honked at. Since petrol prices are steady and not climbing, industries are reluctant to improve productivity, to save energy and go green.

And while the government calls on Malaysians to save and be prudent, we have government agencies shamelessly chasing after a 62-year-old for allegedly committing khalwat, tragically to his death, using hard-earned public funds.

What is their comment on all this problems in the country? Any ideas? Any solutions? Or are they only capable of talking about scholarships and Article 153 of the constitution?

Groups like Perkasa bicker so often that our country is in a mess. Developing a country takes time and effort and developed countries are developed because they are internally stable. They work together, not against each other.

Here, we even don’t even have the time and skills to maintain our buildings and roads. I am not referring to some remote government building but our national icons. Just take a drive to our KLIA and feast your eyes on the ageing mess. The highway leading to it and almost all the signboards are either wearing or are worn down. The paint in the airport carpark, carpark lifts is poorly maintained. Let’s not elaborate on unsightly LRT stations and frequent breakdowns of KTMB commuter trains.

A little bit about our commuter trains. Once, I waited for an hour and a half, before being squeezed, squished, pushed, pulled in a jammed-packed train that then broke down half and hour into the journey. Not to mention missing the station because the windows were blocked by standing passengers. There was no proper announcement. Either the speakers were too soft for my ears, or the conductor was too shy to speak in it.

How many buildings must collapse, landslides to occur, trains to break down, and lives maimed and lost before we sit up and take time off bickering with one another to address issues at hand? How many people must “jump” off buildings before everyone gets together to say enough is enough?

After 50 years, have we not learnt that our differences should be our strength and not something that tears us apart?

I await for the day when political parties, politicians, NGOs and individuals that distract, disunite, pit us against each other are banned, and their leaders prosecuted as traitors and enemies of the state. They should be treated worse than a drug trafficker who poisons the minds of Malaysians.

Until that day comes, I fear that our country will always be disunited by the irresponsible few.

I stand corrected for saying all this and more.