Look in the mirror before blaming the people, says PSM

At the Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam, Dr Mahathir Mohamad had questioned the willingness of Malays to undertake difficult jobs.

PETALING JAYA: Government leaders have been urged not be hypocrites and to look into the mirror before pointing fingers and accusing the people of being too embarrassed and too lazy to take on tough jobs.

Wan Zamzahidi Wan Zahid, an executive member of Parti Socialis Malaysia, said that people in high places should own up to their own failures or resign and leave the job to those more capable.

He took issue with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks at the Malay Dignity Congress today that Malays were unwilling to working difficult jobs for RM1,000 salary, but did not mind receiving RM500 in monthly government aid, or avoided taking supermarket jobs with salaries of more than RM1,000 but complained that even RM2,000 was insufficient.

Zamzahidi said Mahathir should be more understanding of the difficulties faced by the rakyat.

He said Malays were not ashamed of doing tough work, but the salaries and the job scope did not match. “Look at the oil and gas sector: it is more dangerous and difficult, but many Malays are in that sector because the salaries and the job scope are reasonable.”

Zamsahidi questioned Mahathir’s statement that Malaysia was not capable of paying high salaries.

“But the ministers and politicians still enjoy attractive salary and benefits, while wasting much of their time dealing with internal issues rather than doing their jobs to help this country develop. Why have they not been admonished and why has not action been taken against them?” he said.

Zamsahidi said the rakyat might have conceded the government’s failure to fulfil its manifesto promises, “but what hurts the most is when they blame the people after they themselves have failed. Should that not be more shameful than the so-called embarrassed employees working for the bare minimum?” - FMT