LETTER: Malaysia is back on the path of recovering, revitalising and reforming after being battered by the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
Not only the Perikatan Nasional government has introduced a super friendly-budget that focuses primarily on getting the people and the country back on their feet, it has also garnered their support via the RM305 billion package, said to be one of the highest in Asia.
Indeed, the bold and giant steps taken to safeguard the people and prop up the economy will make them even better to march forward. The PN government's focal priority has always been on the fight against Covid-19 with something for everyone and to ensure the rakyat's prosperity, business continuity and economic resilience remains the focus during these unprecedented times.
And so, when the accusations in the form of an article came, with the headline "Malaysia – a country in decay?" as carried by a news portal, I was truly devastated and angry. In his article, the writer, a local, claimed he was asked by an expatriate friend why he came back to Malaysia after living in the United States as his friend had labelled Malaysia as a racist nation.
The writer blamed Covid-19 travel restrictions as the reason he was still working from Malaysia. Hope he would not end up like other Malaysians who had given up their Malaysian citizenship only to repent later! I strongly feel that as a Malaysian, he should have been more nationalistic and patriotic in his writing. Of course, he is free to write just about anything else in this whole wide world but he should give credit where it is due.
Saying Malaysia is in decay, he went on pointing out that the country was experiencing a massive brain drain, the reason why highly-skilled people were leaving the country in droves, unfavourable business climate for investors, overdependence on foreign workers and lastly, the country's education system which he said was in shambles. On education, he also said the deteriorating standards and uncomfortable emphasis on religion had driven the non-Malays to abandon national schools.
Surely, he doesn't even know what he is writing about? If this writer strongly feels this way, then he should aptly settle down elsewhere, definitely not this country which has given him so much for what he is today! No one could have predicted that Covid-19 would raise a perfect storm, hitting Malaysia and the world over hard this year! Instead of condemning the government through sweeping and general statements, he should have given constructive opinions or ideas on ways to help people badly hit by the virus, especially the vulnerable groups, instead of the other way round.
The virus has very much cancelled everything for everyone. Lives were upended, livelihoods under strain. I am wondering why only now he is hurling all sorts of allegations against the government which has been around less than a year. He should have been fair and responsible!
As it is, in less than one year, the PN government, in my observation as a responsible citizen, has done and is still doing its best to develop the nation. If the pandemic had not struck, I strongly believe that it would have done far better in running the country.
The World Bank, in its blog, stated that despite myriad challenges, there were encouraging signs that Malaysia was riding it out comparatively better as its economy rest on strong fundamentals.
It also said recently that a diversified economic structure, a sound financial system, an effective public health response and proactive macroeconomic policy support have all helped soften the blow of the pandemic. It also said despite the enormous uncertainty over the timing of a return to economic growth, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The blog also stated, the government is set on not just getting out of the health crisis but also trying to get into better shape than it was before, so it is able to withstand the next one. A multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, Malaysia is not a racist nation but one that is moving forward with optimism in terms of intercultural and interreligious relations.
Generally speaking, for the writer's information (in case he has long forgotten his Malaysian root), we, Malaysians, are peace-loving people who for the most part have lived harmoniously for centuries and who have been keeping the country together. Multi-ethnicity is an asset and a challenge for us all but we understand it very well.
With the aim of leaving no one behind, the PN government has shown that it cares for our lives and livelihoods greatly amid these trying times. Malaysia will show a better ending than what we have anticipated if all its people work hand-in-hand to help each other. So, stop making sweeping statements or generalising that only border on provocation as this could derail racial integration and harmony of this country.
ZARAH ATAN
Batu Pahat, Johor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times