No, BR1M is not a panacea
We are pretending to help the people through BR1M when we close both eyes to the inherent unfairness and exploitation in the system.
TK Chua, Free Malaysia Today
The piece, “Of BR1M and Malaysia’s political landscape” by Khairul Azwan Harun was an interesting read. He was thoughtful in his own way.
I do not know whether he realised it or not, the first few paragraphs of his essay more or less summed up Malaysia’s low productivity, low wage and high cost of living conundrum.
He ought to begin asking why there are millions like that “person” he described in his essay – unable to make ends meet despite working full time.
Where did the fruits of development go the last three to four decades? Why despite the enclaves of opulent homes and marques on the road, more and more are being pushed down the economic ladder?
I am a believer of this: people working fulltime, regardless of professions (yes, including garbage collectors, mechanics, and convenient store cashiers), must be able to earn a decent living. Families with two incomes ought to earn better than a decent living. If they do not, our economic system has failed them.
I think Malaysia must try to tackle the very chaotic outcomes of our development model. The problems we face are structural, ranging from unemployable graduates, big and ineffective government, to total lack of decent and affordable housing.
We can’t argue also that GST is to enable the government to pay BR1M. That is oxymoronic. GST has also allowed the government to continue with its profligate way.
No one is disputing that BR1M is able to provide temporary relief. But BR1M can’t solve structural problems. BR1M is like giving Panadol to someone with a brain tumour.
