– Shukri Mokhtar
The Malaysian Insider
28 January 2015

“Religion” and “race” are two dangerous words. Since the dawn of time, men have used these two words to assert control the people, to gain power and self-benefits.

A question that you and I must critically ask ourselves, with everything that human beings have achieved until this day in the 21st century, why do we still fall for the same trick over and over again?

My humble answer is simple, it’s “Sapere aude!” (Dare to know). We as human beings are always in a state of cowardice, afraid of knowing the truth and do not have the urge to question our own belief.

Immanuel Kant in his theory of the “enlightenment” argues that enlightenment was man’s emergence from his self-immaturity and immaturity was self-imposed when it caused lies, not in lack of understanding, but in the lack of resolve and courage to use it.

From what is happening in our country, we need a better Malaysia. The great time has just begun, Malaysia has awoken for the better good.

Although Malaysians have never felt this much pressure of cost of living crisis, I know many below-average earning families in Kuala Lumpur happen to have two job just so that they can feed their families.

My friends will be shocked but my life-long teacher, currently a lecturer at a local Islamic university would be pleased of my swift stand in this country’s politics.

It was not the intellectuals who gave me the exposure or information that I needed to change, but I can tell you this came from an old man called “Pak Ngah”, who I helped to clean his home because of the recent floods in Temerloh, Pahang.

He was a rubber tapper and he said something that would change my life forever. “Oh, it will be three weeks at least, until I can continue to work” because he needs to clean out the mud that had entered his house and surroundings.

I asked him what he did for a living. “I’m a rubber tapper,” he replied.

That made me realise how unfair it is for an old man who is supposed to be retired since 1998 had to work until this day. Our country only works for the privileged few today, not most of the people.

It is a fact, not some assumption. Malaysians need justice, economic justice.

Malaysians had to suffer immensely because of inflation.

Why the people are being told there us a recovery and yet they are not feeling the benefits. When we look upon our situation, we should feel ashamed over how we live today because our country is rich.

It is about the people working so hard but not being rewarded.

It is about young people, who fear that we will have a worse life than our parents because of the inflation. Above the most mistaken view of all, is that a success of country only depends on a few people on the top and when they do well, everyone in Malaysia does as well.

These are the symptoms of a deeply unequal, deeply unfair, unjust country which we need to rise to the occasion to change this.

We all have the love of humanity in our heart, we cannot hate and will not hate, only the unloved will hate.

We need to rethink and revisit our stand, for how long will we be deceived?

Let us now unite because poverty knows no race, creed nor ethnicity. Beyond race, we need economic justice, beyond creed, we need social justice, beyond ethnicity. We need commitment to change the impossible.

A simple statistics on the disparity in Malaysia will be an eye-opener. Almost 80% of our workforce earn less than RM3,000.

Any household earning more RM15,000 comprises of the top 1% of the income bracket in Malaysia. Those earning RM5,000 and below represent 75% of households in Malaysia.

Now bear these statistics in mind and think about the slow rate of increase in household income which would not be able to cope with the recent price hikes of items, such as electricity tariff, toll, school bus fares and assessment rates.

An individual would require an income of RM4,000 to survive on Penang island, given its high rental and expensive daily goods.

Likewise in Kuala Lumpur, the day-to-day spending on necessity goods such as, chicken, mackerel, chilli is burdensome plus an average rental of at least RM700 a month, a household would need a minimum income of RM3,500 just to meet ends.

There needs to be public support for effective action for the poor, destitute and the forgotten. A centre-left approach in politics which calls for social equality that involves concern for those in society who are perceived as disadvantaged relative to others should be welcomed as the way forward for our country.

Mind you, this approach is not an alien concept, Tun Abdul Razak himself reflected this in his social policies to deal with inequality where once upon a time, free education from primary school to university level was made available.

This perhaps could be attributed to the influence of the left-wing Labour Party which he joined while in the UK.

In terms of track record of political parties in Malaysia, the only party that still upholds the rakyat/people in its cornerstone of its political ideology today in my belief is the DAP through its centre-left approach and emphasis on good governance, hence deserving the rakyat’s mandate.

Well, people would demand the reason for my statement. The answer again is a simple one, it is because I am a Muslim.

As a practising Muslim, I am instructed to uphold justice by God, after recognising that there’s no god but the one True God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.

The Quran, Surah an Nisa verse 139 “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a

Better Protector to both (than you)”.

In addition, Shakyhul Islam Ibn Tamiyyah, a great Muslim scholar in his book, al Hisbah fil Islam said “God al Mighty will help a just country even though the country is ruled by a non-believer”.

When DAP which was negatively portrayed as an anti-Muslim/Malay chauvinist party won over the state government of Penang after the 2008 elections, a series of success stories were recorded.

emember the closing statement of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during the debate with Koh Tsu Koon, the former Gerakan chief minister on his pledge to eradicate hardcore poverty comparable with the zero poverty achieved by during great caliphate of Umar Bin Abdul Aziz.

Penang under DAP started to generate high revenues through tough fiscal decisions which led to the reputation of best financially managed state in years 2009, 2010,2011 as well as reduced debts by 95% from RM360 million in 2008 to RM 30 million in 2011.

The extra revenues earned was utilised by the state government to tackle poverty through the distribution of monthly allowances to the low-income earners.

This was as a result of the state government’s CAT model of governance which received international recognition after being praised by Transparency International for the anti-corruption measures.

In addition, for the first time an open tender system by the DAP state government which allows for a fairer distribution of wealth to the rakyat is highly commendable as opposed to just a closed-door tender to an elite few.

So do we still want to gamble? Do we still want lie to ourselves with false hope, telling ourselves that “don’t worry they’ll do better next time”.

Deep in our hearts, we all know the end result is. History if it is not learn and for a surety it will repeat itself.

Why not try DAP for a better Malaysia?

However, I still think that the DAP-led Penang government needs to do more in housing.

Good is not good but better is expected. Ordinary Penangites unable to afford a living with property prices soaring in Penang, the shortage of affordable housing remains a huge concern for people in the state.

Despite the move by the state government with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to initiate several projects which will deliver more than 22,000 units of affordable housing in the next five to 15 years, there is still a growing worry that this will not meet the demands of hardworking middle-class Penangites in the advent of lavish housing development across the island.

These housing projects are increasing rapidly catering only to the wealthy few Penangites and rich expatriates, abandoning the unfortunate to leave Penang island.

Lastly, you and I know and do not believe that is, life is so dear to be purchase by immorality and greed. If nothing in life is worth dying for, but when do this begin?

Just in the face of the oppressor or should Moses tell his people to submit in slavery under the rule of the pharaoh, or should Prophet Muhammad tell his followers to deny in the one True God after the Meccan

pagans has offered him money, status and women.

So when is the road to prosperity? Well, it is easy after all, you and I must have the courage to say to these people.

That there is a price that we will not pay, there is a point beyond which they must not advance. Nelson Mendela said “overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice”.

Let us lastly pledge ourselves ever to uphold our country. In our work and in our leisure, with such zeal and in such measure for our beloved Malaysia. – January 28, 2015.