I was scrolling through my news feed at work last week when I saw a meme by Singaporean social media website SGAG mocking the SGD-MYR exchange rate of 1 Singaporean Dollar= RM 3.50. Although the meme was a harmless jibe at the state of the Malaysian ringgit in general, I believe the brunt of the fire would be felt by Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming. As the Malay saying goes, “Siapa Makan Cili, Dia Rasa Pedas”. After all, it was he who remarked with much sanguine in the lead up to PH’s winning campaign trail in 2022 that Singaporeans would flock to Johor to work should PH claim victory; as the ringgit would be in very good stead should they come into power.
A year on, PH’s 2nd reign has so far been hallmarked by a stagnated economy and a flimsy ringgit. This year, the government’s undertakings have also been marred by an ongoing shortage of subsided locally sourced rice, leading to furore and suggestions from certain parties to ban the purchase of subsidised rice by foreigners. Mydin boss Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin had to step in, slamming the move as discriminatory practice. As foreboding clouds continue to loom over the nation’s economy, eateries have also found themselves walking a tightrope- with the need to juggle and maintain a balance between providing affordable meals and dealing with the knock on effect of inflation themselves. In many instances, they are tied up in knots, for the RM 5 Menu Rahmah had become the talk of the town and the practice of the land. However, that very same Menu Rahmah was besieging restaurant profits. The end result- Many restaurants had to inadvertently drop their Menu Rahmah offerings, as their pockets shrivel, resulting in a blackhole made up of non-existent customers. Just as recently as last week, a report published claimed that the number of diners at restaurants in Malaysia had plummeted by a sizable 20% in just the last 3 months.
To add further insult to the injury, Malaysia now faces the possibility of US sanctions over its position in relation to Hamas. Although it is unlikely that such a sanction would materialize in the face of growing global discontent surrounding the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza, it is undeniably clear that a sanction of any sort would cripple Malaysia to a point where our nation would have to mobilise on crutches. I don’t like to ponder on clouds alone, without offering a pathway to sunshine. What could Malaysia do to avert its current economic situation?
In the past week, it has come to light that a few Bersatu politicians have very sycophantically pledged their support to the Madani Government. Whether this move is honest or merely tongue-in-cheek remains to be seen, but be it government or opposition, Malaysia’s vision for the future should be clear. As a largely Islamic country ourselves, we should aim to toe the lines of progressive Islamic nations in the Middle East such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia who have all become technological powerhouses and whose achievements and accolades are envied and looked up to by the world.
Malaysia remains firmly grounded in its’ past feat of 1998/99, when both the Petronas Twin Towers and Sepang International Circuit were inaugurated. Those feats promised much for the future, but the future has remained fairly stagnant since then. It is time we stepped out of that time capsule and moved on to greater things. The government needs to revamp tourism destinations like Langkawi and Penang to ensure its’ international appeal does not dissipate into dust. Of note, Langkawi has already been witnessing a dip in tourism recently. Competition is high and will continue to be high, with the likes of neighboring Phuket, Bali and Krabi proving tantalizing to tourists.
Therefore, the pathway to continued tourism relevance for destinations such as Langkawi and Penang includes increased funding and increased development of attractions, whilst ensuring laws in relation to dressing and social activities in such locations remain liberal. This is how destinations like Dubai shot to stardom. The second thing we should do is to stop building castles in the air, but manifest them in reality instead. Last year, we were prematurely greeted by news that Disney would set up a theme park on a 80.9 hectare plot of land in Jasin, Melaka. Unfortunately, the news turned out to be false and Disney’s famed castle went up in smoke, much to the ire of the people of Melaka, who had to come to terms with the fact that Mickey Mouse would not be holding hands with the “Mamee Monster”, who calls Melaka its “kampung”.
Thirdly, the government should adopt and implement progressive policies which bring benefits aplenty to the nation. Many Malaysians and I welcome the government’s step in tempting the likes of Tesla to set up base on our shores. We hope for more of the same. Recently, Datuk Seri Anwar was on an official visit to Singapore, trodding down the hallways of the Istana with Singapore premier Lee Hsien Loong. With bated breath, I hoped for news of the potential rejuvenation of the High Speed Rail(HSR) project. Although the administration of Datuk Seri Najib was largely tainted and muddled with controversy, there was great prospect in his “1 Malaysia” campaign as well as the HSR, which would purportedly connect KL to Singapore in 90 minutes. Although there was no official statement on it by the Prime Minister, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said earlier this week that the government was working on a new implementation for the project, including the sourcing of finance from private parties. It looks like the flirtatious idea of loaded Singaporeans strolling down the streets of KL, pumping money from their steroid impregnated wallets into our nation’s economy isn’t wishful thinking after all!!
In conclusion, it is important that Malaysia finds a solid footing in an ever progressing world so that we are not ultimately left behind. As a nation, we have loads of success to reflect on from past decades that have come and gone, and this is success that we must continue to fortify- For the guts of Malaysians are borborygmus for a stable economy and the guts of our nation, Malaysia, is borborygmus for progress!!
Thillak Sekaran 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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