WHAT a time to be alive in Malaysia! If you’re politically connected, there’s always a silver lining—or should we say, a massive discount—waiting for you. But for the ordinary rakyat? Brace yourself for a hike, whether it’s your medical insurance premiums, electricity bills, or the cost of a basic meal.
Let’s start with ex-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Here’s a man sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption and a fine of RM210 milliion. Yet, he earlier this year received a massive "discount" of having his jail time halved and his fine slashed to RM50 million.
Then we have Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin. She wasn’t just a bystander in the infamous “Sheraton Move” that toppled a democratically elected government; she was an active participant.
That betrayal of voters destabilised the country and saw the installation of a back-door government in 2020. And what did she get for that major offence? A mere slap on the wrist. The RM10 million penalty imposed by PKR for breaching her bond was deemed “too exorbitant” by the courts, and was reduced to RM100,000— a 99% discount.
Zuraida even had the audacity to joke about paying it in RM1 notes. Must be nice to treat accountability like a joke when you’re part of the elite club.
But wait! What about the rest of us? Ordinary Malaysians who are just trying to survive? Here’s our gift: a massive hike in medical insurance premiums. Rumours are swirling that next year, premiums could jump by as much as 70%. Yes, you read that right— by up to 70 per cent.
And why? Because healthcare costs are skyrocketing, medical inflation is at 12.6% (more than double the global average), and apparently, we must shoulder the burden.
It’s not just insurance premiums that are climbing—Malaysians are facing a tidal wave of price hikes across the board. Groceries? More expensive. Transportation? Fuel prices are set to fluctuate, and public transport fares aren’t immune to inflation either. Everywhere you turn, the cost of living is creeping higher, squeezing the rakyat while wages remain stagnant.
This pattern is sickeningly familiar. For the politically connected, life is a game of Monopoly where you never go to jail and always collect RM200. For the rest of us, it’s a game of survival where the rules keep changing to our disadvantage. Why bother working hard or playing fair when the system rewards betrayal and corruption with slaps on the wrist and sweetheart deals?
So, is this the lesson we’re supposed to take away? That in Malaysia, discounts are reserved for those who join political parties, betray them, and then gain the sympathy of the courts?
Until then, hold on tight to your wallets. The hikes are coming, and the discounts are reserved for someone else.
Abdul Rahim Md Noor is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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