For over six decades, we have lived under a system that has too often prioritised political elites over ordinary people.
Corruption, cronyism and racial politics have drained national wealth and eroded trust. Billions have disappeared in scandals, while the people are told to tighten their belts.
The riots in Indonesia are not some faraway news. They are a cautionary tale. A society where leaders live in lavish comfort while ordinary people struggle is one sitting on a powder keg.
The perks gap
MPs and ministers in Malaysia today enjoy substantial salaries. On top of this, they are provided free cars, drivers, fuel, travel allowances and lifetime pensions.
These are luxuries that ordinary people cannot even imagine. Many of them are forced to make impossible choices between food and rent, between education and medical care.
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Why should a public servant’s perks far outweigh the annual income of an ordinary person?
In certain states, the menteri besar even earns more than the prime minister.
When state leaders can benefit from public money, what message does it send? That self-wealth comes before public service.
Small-minded politics of race
When someone lunged at a member of the royalty recently, a grave breach of security that should have united people was instead distorted into a racial narrative by certain politicians. It was never about race. Yet, divisive politics reduced a national issue into communal rhetoric.
This has been the longstanding disease of Malaysian politics. Floods, crime, corruption and even economic challenges are consistently reframed along racial or religious lines. This distracts from accountability and diverts attention from structural failures.
How long will we allow leaders to weaponise race and religion to mask their incompetence?
The real divide
Malaysia’s true fault line is not racial. Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Dayak –people of all ethnicities face the same burdens: inflation, stagnant wages, weak healthcare and inadequate education.
The real divide lies between the political class and ordinary people. The elite, regardless of ethnicity, benefit from entrenched privileges.
What must change
If Malaysia is to avoid the fate of its neighbours, structural reforms are urgent:
End perks – No free cars, drivers or holiday allowances. Public service must not mean personal luxury.
Salary transparency – Publish all salaries, allowances and benefits of MPs and ministers online. Every sen must be accounted for.
Salary cap – Peg ministerial pay to the people’s average income. Leaders should rise and fall with the people they serve.
End lifetime pensions – Many in Malaysia rely on their Employees Provident Fund retirement savings. MPs should too.
Independent oversight – A watchdog, free from political influence, must monitor corruption, waste and misuse of funds.
If many ordinary people cannot afford fish, why should their representatives dine on lobster?
Ten qualities every MP must embody
To restore dignity to Parliament, every elected official should be measured against these qualities:
Integrity – Free from corruption and scandal
Transparency – Open about earnings and decisions
Service-First Mindset – Politics is a duty, not a business.
Accountability – Willing to step down when failing the people
Empathy – Connected to the struggles of ordinary people
Competence – Knowledgeable and capable of policymaking
Courage – Willing to stand up against corruption, even within their own party
Unity orientation – Speaking for Malaysia, not for one race
Humility – No VIP culture or sense of entitlement
Vision – Long-term policies for future generations, not short-term populism
Should this not be the bare minimum for anyone who calls themselves Yang Berhormat (the honourable)?
Breaking the chains
Malaysia does not need more slogans, hollow promises, or rhetoric dressed in “Madani” (compassion and trustworthiness). It needs courage to dismantle a culture of entitlement.
We need a Parliament where politicians live as ordinary people do, not above them. We need leaders judged by their integrity, not their ability to stir racial sentiment. We need reforms that cut through the rot of privilege and replace it with service.
Sixty years of lies, perks and privilege is enough. The question is – how much longer will people stay silent before demanding leaders who serve, not steal?
Bottom line
The warning signs are clear. If Malaysia continues to ignore inequality, corruption and political privilege, the cracks will widen. The people cannot forever bear the weight of leaders who live opulent lifestyles. Reform is not optional. It is survival.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
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- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
conflicting accounts between sophist and philosopher