Tuesday 7 October 2014

Poverty --the root of corruption.



Sultan Nazrin Shah, said that Putrajaya must tackle income inequality as it is the root of poverty and corruption. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 1, 2014.





















Stop being in denial, pay gap causes graft, Perak Sultan tells Putrajaya.


Now, not many sultan of all the sultans of Malaysia would openly criticised over any government-related issue.
Probably it has been their nature ever since those days when the Malay sultans were being told to just follow and accept whatever the mat sallehs lord gave and told them to do.
And perhaps they have all the perks that they feel there aren't any need for them to raise anything against the government.

However, Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak proved that the Sultan do have a say somehow.
In his speech at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) 47th Anniversary event in Kuala Lumpur recently, he told the government to tackle income inequality among the rakyat as it is the root of poverty and corruption.

Putrajaya recently announcement that average household incomes have surpassed RM5,900, which in actual fact it is not. With rising expenditure and same 20 years ago average income take home; their claim are very much debatable.

The Sultan also said Putrajaya must stop being in denial about wealth inequality and realise that hardship and poverty are also fuelling corruption.
I must salute this Sultan.
If almost all of the cabinet ministers are mere butt-licker and puppy dogs, we need someone up above than them to shake their lazy self a little bit.

In a speech, he cited figures that showed the low earnings of a vast majority of households and noted that those struggling to make ends meet were exposed to petty corruption.

Malaysia is not at any bottom 10 of the world's corrupted nation list. It is however climbing higher and higher wanting to get to the top 10 of the world's most corrupted nation.
Corruption is present among high-ranking officials in public and private sectors due to greed, and the Sultan also said struggle of those in the lower-income groups who wanted to avoid corruption by taking up second jobs to sustain their families would eventually affect their productivity at their workplace.

"This is the reality. The number of them will increase if the effective formulas to address housing, transportation and medical assistance are not introduced. The country has to wake up and realise what is happening."

He cited the New Economic Model report which showed that 80% of households earned less than RM5,000 a month, and of this, 40% were earning less than RM2,000 a month.

The data also showed that 78.6% of Employees Provident Fund account holders were those earning less than RM3,000 a month.

While investment power among majority Bumiputera was manifested in the Amanah Saham Bumiputera, 75% of account holders only had an average of RM611 in savings.

He said Sultan the data was worrying given Putrajaya's efforts to be a high-income nation with a target of RM48,000 income per capita by 2020.

He said the situation was like a disease that needed serious treatment liking it to 'a temporary sore throat which can be cured by taking a Strepsil'. This is a serious social illness that needs intensive treatment from 'social doctors and surgeons' to structure a comprehensive and holistic social policy, he added.

Perhaps the country need more of this kind of Sultans just to keep order of the cabinet and its ministers. Including the prime minister of course.

The other one whom I reckon would have the gut to speak out is the Johore sultan and the Sultan of Selangor.

Maybe we should wait for them to touch on the agenda to rid the Malays (not so much bumiputera though) off their rights as stipulated in the Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia.

For those Malays (whom to me were mere sheeples of konon-new Malay breed whom are basically kacang lupa kulit) and those non-Malays, please read and understand the following carefully;

...grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) responsibility for “safeguard[ing] the special position of the ‘Malays’(and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities” ....
If you still don't get it, then try to learn and understand the history of the country and how those Malays fought to relieve this nation from the Lord Union Jack.

One thing I know, from my little experience in life -- you will only know when you lose it.