Honest cabbies vs MPs who take us for a ride

We can't blame Malaysians for their distrust of politicians.

COMMENT

By Mariam Mokhtar

A woman who lives in Ipoh claims she has more faith in her regular taxi driver than in her MP. She rides his taxi to the hospital for her monthly check-up, to the market for her shopping and to the Jabatan Telekom to pay her bills.

The driver, whom I’ll call Pak Abu, is not the usual irresponsible operator. His taxi is clean. It’s not flea infested, it’s free of litter, and it smells nice. His car is old, but it’s well maintained. “It still works,” he says. “Why should I change it?”

Pak Ali’s taxi has a fare meter, but he rarely uses it, preferring to negotiate a fee with prospective passengers.

He says he would use the meter if a passenger insisted. “But I normally don’t, by force of habit.” He claims that his rates are reasonable and that he makes enough money to feed his family, to cover the expenses on his vehicle and little else. Some days are good, others bad.

He is on time. He takes you from door to door. He helps you with the heavy items, and he arrives at your doorstep without fail. It’s cheaper to use his service than to employ a full-time chauffeur, especially for the person who needs occasional but regular transport.

By prior arrangement, he would make long-distance trips, as long as he is given the chance to have a decent meal and to get ample time to rest before the return journey. When he has to go on such trips, he makes alternative arrangements for others who may have planned to use his service in Ipoh.

It seems that he has not had a day off for years.

Pak Ali is knowledgeable about current events. He talks to a variety of people and is aware of political undercurrents. He appears to know the angst of people from most walks of life, regardless of race, religion or social status.

He claims to have had his fair share of fare-dodging clients, but that was mainly in his youth. He knows that if he is rude, he will not have repeat customers. He knows that if he were to cheat people, he may be reported and have his licence suspended or withdrawn.

As he has to earn a living, he knows about rising prices, about shopping around for the best deals, about the importance of having regular maintenance checks for his vehicle (and for his own health) and he knows the damage that under-the-table payments do to a business or individual.

He once said to the lady we spoke of earlier, “The politicians should try my job for a month, then they might sympathise with the rakyat. Right now, they ride in plush cars and have drivers who take them from one place to another without any hassle. They park on double yellow lines and cause traffic problems. Do they know what it is like to be trapped in a jam? Do they know the damage done to a vehicle when driven on poorly maintained roads? They probably have the state to cover any costs of repair to their cars. I don’t.”

So, would you agree with this lady that her taxi-driver is more trustworthy than her MP?

Our lady is certainly not alone in her distrust of politicians, especially politicians associated with BN. Who can blame her? We’ve had 58 years of virtual one-party rule, during which the politicians in power try to divide Malaysians using the four Rs (race, religion, royalty and rural folk), during which we see government waste, white elephant projects, draconian rules to control the people, affirmative action policies, corruption scandals, selective persecution and the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.

Do we blame the Opposition politicians for being ineffective and unable to make a dent in Putrajaya? Do we blame the cosy relationship between the mainstream media and Umno-Baru? Why do multimillionaires buy up publications? Do they want to influence us, or are they doing it to present an alternative view to the public without interference from politicians?

Do we blame the rakyat for voting the same parties in every five years? Do we blame Malaysians for being reluctant to criticise the government? Are Malaysians afraid of being punished or are they reluctant to speak out because they have a comfortable life? What do you think?

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.