Nation’s image not judged by Seri Perdana’s looks

 

Muhyiddin Yassin and Najib Razak have clashed over the RM38.5 million that the former approved for renovations to the official prime minister’s residence at Seri Perdana.

Muhyiddin claimed that the huge budget was necessary because of Seri Perdana’s outdated wiring and damage caused by water seepage. Najib blasted Muhyiddin for using him as an excuse for the inflated cost. So, who is right and do we really care?

We are just angry with all politicians, whether from Bersatu, Umno, PAS or the opposition, who treat the rakyat’s money as their own.

Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Umno leaders tell us to tighten our belts, but they do not appear to heed their own advice. A lot of money is being spent on politicians’ allowances and perks, as revealed by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. These politicians seem not to care about the rakyat who are suffering.

The revelation about the renovations to Seri Perdana is galling. Can’t our leaders see that the economy is in dire straits and people are worried about their future, with many not having even a roof over their heads? Now is not the time to spend money on renovations as there are more pressing issues to deal with.

Three questions come to mind:

1. Who is the contractor for the renovations?
2. Why renovate now?
3. Does the official prime minister’s residence have to be palatial?

With corruption rampant in Malaysia, it is important to ensure transparency over the money spent in renovating Seri Perdana. Let us hope that it is not the case of the contractor receiving a fraction of the cost and third parties laughing all the way to the bank.

If dodgy practices can happen with multi-million ringgit contract work in many government departments, what’s to stop the same from happening at Seri Perdana?

The renovation work could have been postponed considering the state of the economy and the plight of the people. Part of the funds could have been used to ease the burden of the have-nots.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob reportedly said the renovations were needed because of safety issues and the need to uphold the country’s image, as Seri Perdana is often used to welcome foreign guests.

Politicians from PN appear to forget that Malaysia’s image has already been tarnished with its numerous scandals. Abuse of power, use of racial or religious sentiments to divide the people, and the lack of credibility of the country’s institutions – these are the negative values that foreigners notice about the country, not how grand the prime minister’s residence appears.

Malaysia’s image cannot be judged by cosmetic touches to a politician’s mock palace. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.