MARCH 14 — As a foreign national with keen interest in Malaysia, I cannot express how events that unfolded since January has caused me sleepless nights. Yes, I mean January and not February 23 when most of my Malaysian friends expressed their interest in moving to Indonesia!
Allow me to explain. Whilst I have invested in small medium industries here, I do see the impact of what the current now acknowledged pandemic known the world over as Covid-19 will impact my business. This since January.
Yet, in the last days as Malaysia’s promising minister of economic affairs, the honourable minister had said that the impact of the virus was ‘minimal’. Even the then-minister of tourism had mentioned ‘minimum effect on tourism’ given that 2020 is Visit Malaysia year. I couldn’t imagine that such irresponsible statements would come from such people tasked to provide leadership and confidence to the market.
Of course, Malaysia had no idea what was to come. Let me then tell you how I am affected. The lucrative market which involves a natural product that involves the saliva of swiftlets?
Due to the virus, no one in the right mind wants these products. As such my business has taken a big hit, let alone the thought of the Chinese from China wanting any of my business partner’s previously lucrative ‘Musang Kings’.
I wonder why the above statements by the then ministers were made to begin with? Was it to portrait the then government as incapable? Because as a businessman, I know of certain issues that ‘prevented’ us from venturing further. Or were the statements simply naïve and honest as they were? Could it be representative of those who made them?
From across the narrow Straits, the political events that unfolded are hardly surprising. In our country, we have seen much of this.
As more and more disgruntled ‘left behind’ politicians are grumbling openly, I hope for those in my shoes, that the ministers can get off their floating chariots of rewards and start focusing on introducing real measures to help SMEs and the labour market or face the real possibility of another wave of outflows never experienced before.
To my business partner and the 86 staff in the company, I apologise if I can no longer see it as a viable business for the lack of trust and belief in your country and its leaders is just another straw that broke this camel’s back.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
