LETTERS: Whether we are recipients of the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package or not, we should do our part for society to recover fully from the present crisis. That’s all that matters.
Did you know that the monthly minimum wage gazetted in Malaysia in January this year is RM1,200 which translates to RM14,400 a year? Meanwhile, the highest-paid CEO among the companies listed on Bursa Malaysia earned RM248.61 million or an average of RM28,380 hourly around the clock in 2019.
The CEO makes more than what the worker makes in a year, in an hour while he sleeps. That does not mean one is better than the other. The B40 and M40 makes up the majority of income earners in Malaysia.
They — myself included — provide the bulk of the workforce. Without us, companies will not be able to operate. Well, at least until artificial intelligence replaces us at the workplace but I’m sure we will be resilient and adapt.
While the T20, SMEs (small and medium-seized enterprises) and businesses with cash reserves can weather a storm in the short term, they will take a beating in the current Covid-19 pandemic. The majority will be affected though some will survive and even thrive in the situation.
One such example is the delivery services that have to keep up with the amount of requests people make while staying at home.
Another would be businesses dealing with hygiene and health products. Hopefully they will continue to thrive and boost the economy in their own way.
Nobody asked for this situation but it came anyway and affected our lifestyle no matter our status whether it is B40, M40 or T20. We can no longer go out to work unless our work is under the essential category.
We Malaysians love our food and all of us can no longer enjoy meals at our regular restaurants. But this is nothing compared with some who do not even have their incomes.
Looking at the rate of new cases, it is possible the Movement Control Order will be extended beyond April 14.
Until we get back to our normal ways, we must do our part for society by helping those in need together with the frontliners or just by staying home.
IBRAHIM ABD RAHMAN
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times