The good, the bad and the ugly Malaysian

The consequences of the ongoing movement control order (MCO) has affected Malaysians from all walks of life – from the tycoon whose manufacturing operations have come to a halt to the ordinary man who can’t get out to work to enable him to put food on the table.

These are testing times, but such situations always tend to bring out the best traits of humanity, especially from fellow Malaysians who continue to alleviate the sufferings of those who, for whatever reasons, have been unable to fend for themselves.

The many good deeds and efforts of many have been chronicled in the media and all right-thinking Malaysians have to “tabek” (salute) this breed of selfless individuals and groups, whose tasks started on the day the MCO came into force – March 18 – and will continue, at least, until May 12.

There were flashes of the brilliant and soft sides of our policemen, who went beyond their call of duty to lend a hand. The sight of a policeman in a drain rescuing a puppy in Petaling Jaya or advising a tribe of Orang Asli children on an outing to sell their ubi keledek from their ancestral farms in Batu Pahat touched the hearts of many.

There are scores of deeds and stories (many untold) that have tugged the hearts of Malaysians. Most are doing it from their hearts and on the quiet. Some believe it is their calling, while others do it from their hearts – without anything in return.

However, there have also been blatant attempts to secure publicity, Brownie points and the like by a few who see the current situation as an opportunity to milk the system for their own selfish reasons.

Politicians are emblazoning their names and photographs on almost everything from the government – from face masks to bags of rice – as if they had paid for these out of their pockets. Well, it is best left to the readers’ imagination to form their own conclusions on such dubious and unscrupulous people the next time they knock on your doors.

We have come across multi-photograph postings of small donations; people posing for the cameras grinning as if it was a shot for a toothpaste commercial and many more. Short of kissing babies and giving a shoulder to cry on (which are quite common during election campaigns), every trick in the book to get that photograph or that five minutes of fame has not been ignored.

However, all these gimmicks can be overlooked and will be overshadowed because the recipients benefit from the intended kindness and generosity – irrespective of the side-shows. Such indiscretions did not cause harm or hardship.

However, a lawmaker has brought to the fore a practice which we thought would never surface in these troubled times. Reminiscent of the “If the boss can steal, so can I” practice, which permeated before the GE14, the transgressions have started rearing their ugly heads.

According to Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin, the people are being short-changed – the government-funded Covid-19 food packs, which were delivered for the needy, are not worth RM100 each. They cost slightly over a third of the stated cost.

Cha’s office received 150 packs on Wednesday, but he and his team found that the total value of each packet of food was only worth around RM35, Malaysiakini reported yesterday.

According to Cha, there were only seven items in the orange packet, which are five kilogrammes of rice, one kilogramme of cooking oil, one packet of rice vermicelli, a packet of biscuits, tea and instant coffee. Conservatively calculated, the total cost would not exceed RM35.

Malaysians know the “middlemen” feature in all government procurement systems and high mark-ups are hallmarks of such exercises. Two decades ago, we were told that our Armed Forces personnel were consuming instant noodles at RM4.50 per packet – more than 10 times the retail price at that time.

For the past two years almost, there seemed to be a semblance of proper procurement procedures, compliance to rules and regulations and even a proper tender system. In just two months, has the old way of calling cronies or supporters to become suppliers returned? Are party men becoming government suppliers, as in the past?

Is this erroneous and corrupted supply system becoming endemic during the current pandemic? How could someone ever think of exploiting the sick, the needy and the infirmed during this crisis period?

How does their conscience allow them to do such a vile, despicable and disgraceful thing? Are all and sundry, in wanting their share of the spoils, saying that mantra – Mana aku punya? (Where’s mine?)

The debate on the moral issue will continue. However, what about the legal issues which form the cornerstone of law and order? Such a practice certainly amounts to cheating. What are the law enforcement agencies going to do about it?

The people’s faith in the police force to enforce the law equally and fairly is under a heavy cloud. While policemen are quick to arrest the father who had buried the remains of his young son, VVIPs who defiantly contravened the MCO have been treated with velvet gloves.

The police force may have, in the recent past, procrastinated while twiddling their thumbs awaiting an arahan dari atas (order from above). Not anymore. This requires no such thing. This is theft of public money. And the people have a right to demand that appropriate action be taken.

The inspector-general of police has to act, and fast, to restore the people’s confidence in our law enforcers and the system. This is an opportunity for the police to act and redeem whatever remains of their pride and professionalism.

If the police do not take this chance with open hands, then they have to fight an uphill battle to salvage their perceived promise of impartiality.

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R NADESWARAN says the police have a duty to stop any attempt to resuscitate old practices and habits and bring the culprits to book in all matters involving the people’s money. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com - Mkini