Has Ismail Sabri Got A Plan

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It is difficult to know where to begin, because every which way you look, Malaysia appears to be falling apart at the seams.
Although things are looking bad for the government, it is worse for the opposition. They have lost focus, they are disenchanted, they are fighting among themselves and they appear to be broken and directionless.
The ruling government is a mess but if the Opposition were half as good as they are now, they could have breezed in and taken over Putrajaya. The fact that they cannot do this, just shows that they are in an even worse state than PN.
So what's wrong with Malaysia? Where does one start?
A resident of Kuala Lumpur would drive to work in the morning, but by lunchtime, would wish to have a sampan, to navigate the floodwaters, which have turned some roads into raging rivers.
Residents cannot continue living with this uncertainty, especially after they are told that hundreds of millions of ringgit have been allocated for flood defences, flood mitigation measures and clearing of drains and river sluices. How was the money spent?
Then we read about a student who returned to university, but within a few days was found dead, allegedly after being electrocuted. Her family is traumatised, and the university is neither transparent, nor forthcoming, about how she died. Many questions remain unanswered.
Accounting student S Vinosiny died in her hostel room at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, KedahThe 20-year-old is not the first to die on the premises of an educational facility. Children have died in tahfiz schools. Other students have been bullied, and subsequently died. Their tormentors were fellow students, and in some cases, their teachers.
In the latest student fatality, was it the university's negligence that contributed to her death? In Malaysia, the maintenance of our educational facilities is low on the list of our priorities.
An activist up north, who organises gotong-royong programmes and helps to feed the poor by contacting businesses and retailers to donate surplus food, was warned by the local ADUN (state assemblyperson) that his help was not needed. Why? Because the activist wished to remain apolitical and he refused to 'team up' with the ADUN's political party.
Ministers holidaying with their families
Friends who live overseas, for instance, in London, have reportedly spotted various cabinet ministers and their families in town.
It is summer, and ministers are probably attending their children's convocations at British universities. This is the time of year when there is probably an incredible amount of ministerial requests for the "study leave".
The 'study leave' justifies the cost of airfares, local transportation, accommodation, and other ministerial expenses, which are subsidised by the Malaysian taxpayer.
It is alleged that the ministers will request the Malaysian High Commission to arrange a talk with students and throw in makan at various restaurants in the city. One is confident that the money did not come from the minister's own pocket.
For a few gruelling hours of "meeting and greeting" the students, the Malaysian taxpayer has probably forked out several thousand ringgits for our ministers to enjoy a free, all expenses paid holiday.
Summer and at the end of the year, like at Christmas, when the high street shops have sales, are a good time to spot Malaysian ministers in London, and perhaps, in other capital cities around the world.
Worries about cost of living
Back home, people are worried about the cost of living, the increasing price of basic goods, the shortage of certain food items and the rising costs of petrol and other necessities.
The security guards at government departments fuss over the dress code, and yet in some parts of the country, some parents cannot afford to pay for school uniforms. With many families struggling to make ends meet, an insensitive Ismail Sabri shows off his vulgar wealth by wearing an RM5,500 designer shirt.
The ulama prepare Muslims for life after death, but they do the minimum to ensure that their flocks respect the rights of non-Muslims, and to educate them about corruption.
We are told to tighten our belts, but leaders who are addicted to power will do anything to cling to their positions. You couldn't make it up. The Perikatan Nasional  administration just throws money away, like confetti, to politicians who are clueless and without integrity, solely to gain their support.
So, what did Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri do? One way was to create jobs, by having a few ministers take charge of one ministry. We also have senators, special advisers and special envoys.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has been appointed as a special envoy to the Middle EastWe pay for their wages now, but don't forget that when they retire, the taxpayer is still called upon to ensure that former ministers and politicians enjoy a good life in retirement.
Throughout the pandemic, when we were in lockdown, and when most people were forced to work from home, one would have thought that these extra ministerial positions would be made redundant, but the opposite is true.
Instead of creating jobs for the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who have been sacked, jobs were created for the PM's staunch loyalists.
Instead of making conditions ideal for foreign investors, we frighten them away with our intransigence borne out of our religious and racial insecurity.
Instead of focusing on the issues which worry the rakyat, like the rising cost of living, Ismail harps on making Malay a world-class language. When will he get his priorities right?
So, why is Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz allowing Ismail to do all this? The Treasury is not a bottomless well of money. How many more months of reserves are left in the kitty?
Shall we hazard a guess. Three months perhaps? - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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