Politics in Malaysia: Business first, service last

Indeed one begins to wonder why is it that our Malaysian politicians are getting involved in businesses when they should be in the business of caring for the welfare and well being of the rakyat on a full time basis. Are they not paid a salary with perks to govern?

Almost everyone of the BN politicians are into some kind of business, with many of them involved in multi-million Ringgit schemes. Any wise and seasoned business man or woman - big or small, will not hesitate to tell you that to earn your bucks you have to eat, sleep and walk business. It is a 24/7 job.

More interested in mega-business

Now how on earth do our politicians have the time to be involved in healthy and wise politics serving in the best interest of the rakyat and the nation if they are also into mega-buck businesses?

Besides, one also wonders how on earth can they place rakyat first before self if they have their own profits to worry about, day and night. Should the government of the day not ban all politicians from indulging in business deals and leave business to the business world?

Not in Malaysia. The Tun Dr Mahathir has already not only sowed the seeds through his grand plan of privatization, but has successfully nurtured it into a must-do political culture today. Name one politician in the BN fold who has not made money – not from his frugal savings from the wages but from all kinds of business deals, including wheeler-deals.

This is why the politics of Malaysia is inter-woven so intricately with corruption ranging from patronizing to compromising, from abuse of power to all kinds of coveted and secret approvals. And to provide enough insurance we have the Official Secrets Act to give blanket to all the unknown deals.

Indeed it is sad. It is heart breaking. It is devastating to the very soul of nation-building. When politicians place business as theit right and blank-cheque mandate, we compromise governance. And in that process the rakyat become poorer through lost and abused opportunities.

In Malaysia, you go into politics for business

In many forward looking nations elsewhere, successful businessmen surrender their business wealth in order to champion citizens’ interests and nation building. They bring to the field of governance their enriched knowledge of transforming economies for the people.

In our case, we get into politics to enrich our own families at the expense of the rakyat and the nation. Perhaps the learned and untainted minds of Malaysia should do a through study and publish the truth of how our civil servant-turned-politicians and street smart talkers turned political kingpins have amassed their own and their families wealth through their seeming political leadership.

No small wonder than that there is so much fear in making public the wealth and assets of politicians and so much of feet dragging till this date.

Poor Malaysians. They can only court the self-consolation in the face of that hopelessness of “apa boleh buat; jangi kita dapat sedikit cukup lah itu”.

J. D. Lovrenciear reads Malaysia Chronicle