The Gridlock

The Gridlock

Last Thursday evening, there was a horrendous gridlock in the city. The public holiday in Selangor and the rain had resulted in the usual mass of snarling and resentful drivers. There were no police officers to be seen in the Jalan Raja Chulan area and drivers were taking full advantage of this. They beat lights, cut lanes and forced their way forward to gain that extra inch that would take them closer to some perceived nirvana at the expense of the marginally smoother traffic an uncluttered yellow-boxed area of road would allow for.

Stuck in the mess, on the way to an appointment in the city, I had ample time to observe what was going on and to wonder why it is that those of who were on the road were seemingly incapable of spontaneously organizing ourselves in a way that would allow us to steer our way through the morass, albeit slowly. Wedged at a junction, it struck me that all it would have taken was for drivers on either side of the road to allow two cars to pass through either way at a time. But then it was not to be as someone had attempted to make a u-turn where traffic had made it impossible to do so, and stuck mid-maneuver he had now blocked the passageway.

We inched forward that evening, literally, and I ultimately left my car to walk to my destination. As I did, I noticed cars jumping lanes and rushing headlong on the wrong-side of the road. At one stage, I heard a collision and soon came across angry men shouting at each other. Confronted by a lorry being driven on the correct side of the road, one of these jumpers had tried to cut in and collided with a car. The man whose car he had run into was screaming at him for not having waited in line. Remorseless, the jumper was screaming right back, accusing the other of not having had the consideration to allow him in when confronted by the lorry. All round, drivers were blaring their horns.

Walking on, I mused over why it was that those who jumped lane had done so. It was something I, and it would seem quite a few others judging by the number of drivers who had remained in their lane, would not have done. Speaking for myself, it was not that I feared being caught breaking road-traffic regulations, there were no policemen present after all, but rather that I respected the order that the law, its purpose and inherent respect for others represented. Judging by the events that were occurring before my eyes, there was clearly a very practical dimension to the regulation against driving on the wrong side of the road. Why then did the jumpers feel differently?

On-foot and free amidst the chaos, I suddenly had an insight: there are a great many of us who have lost respect for order simply because we think that there is always a way to get around the consequences of our actions. There are many in the situation of the jumpers who will attempt to bribe a policeman when caught, encouraged by the perception that the policeman concerned will in all probability receive a reasonable bribe of a relatively small amount. Armed with this awareness, the way is open for almost anything and everything.

This is not just about traffic offences; the scenario plays itself out in other situations as well. Corruption is so endemic that it has for all purposes and intents become a way of life, skewing our value systems as it has done so. Considering all that happens around us on a day-to-day basis, I shudder to think what it is that our core values as a society are.

We are also not impervious to the examples set out by those who profess to lead us and it would be self-deluding to think otherwise. When they conduct themselves in a manner that suggests that they are above the law, be it through intimidation or abuses of power, then the average Malaysian will follow suit. For if the system can be made to support that kind of conduct on the part of the former then there is no reason why it should not be the same for the latter.

The harsh reality is that as a consequence our moral compasses no longer point true.

The gridlock in the city last Thursday evening could be, for all purposes and intents, a metaphor for the state of Malaysia. We no longer run in sequence, we see no value in doing so. We instead run our own courses in any way we think best for our own personal interests without any regard to wider Malaysia. Insular, self-interested action has become the order of the day with devastating consequences.

For those who would believe that in taking advantage of the situation,they are doing no more than adapting, the implications of their actions should be kept in mind. These will have deeply entrenched consequences, as we are already seeing. We are a nation that is slowly and surely descending into the lawlessness that contempt for the law entails.

The future that portends is not just about traffic jams and road rage.

(Malay Mail; 16th December 2008)

MIS

Of Subsidies And Corruption

Of Subsidies And Corruption

Subsidies are on everyone’s minds these days. Even as the rakyat is faced with the bleak prospect of a more difficult future as the reduction of subsidies impacts on their lives, the government has to figure out how to go about unraveling subsidy frameworks that though attractive when introduced are now threatening not only the competitiveness of the nation but also its sustainability. There are risks – social, political, economic – that need to be confronted in an environment not necessarily conducive to objective and rational consideration of the very crucial issues involved.

Though complaining, and vehemently at that, is tempting, it will not get us very far. The fact that to a large extent the subsidy problems we face today are the result of poor economic management in the past does not help address the situation. Political consequences will follow, we have to deal with the issue. As in other countries, change is necessary. The question for us really is what changes should be made and how they are going to be managed.

We pay taxes in various forms, they are the principle source of revenue of the nation. It is mainly these funds that are used to pay for the operating costs of a given year. In the social democratic framework that we are supposed to have, some of this money is to be used to provide for basic needs such as healthcare, schooling and essential infrastructure such as a reliable police force, efficient and effective regulatory frameworks, electricity, clean water and roads. This is not just about building the hospitals and schools, it is also about maintaining them and ensuring that the services provided are a sufficiently high standard. The same goes for roads, water and so on.

This is how it is meant to be in theory. If implemented, many of the basic needs of an average household would be taken care of, without the need for additional expenditure. A significant amount of the monthly earnings of the average householder would be freed up, making it easier to face the prospect of increased prices from the reduction or even elimination of subsidies.

The reality is however very different. Those who can choose private schools and private hospitals, use toll roads, and employ private security guards or live in gated communities. Do not just take my word for it, ask the average Minister what his or her lifestyle choices are.

These choices are not necessarily prompted by elitism. It comes down to confidence, or the lack of it. The truth is that the public services are worryingly deficient, if not in levels of competence then in resources, to an extent that for many they are no longer a viable choice. This is especially true where children are concerned. Parents want to give their children the best, often at great personal sacrifice.

In some cases, there is no question of choice. The privatization of water, electricity and energy production and the steady increase in their pricing have had a domino effect that have left many having to manage increasing expenditure on shrinking earnings. Too slowly, Malaysians have woken up to the painful realization of how everything happening on the macro level around them has a direct bearing on their lives. The widening poverty gap is leaving us poorer by the day.

Which is why being able to depend on public services is so crucial. As we have however seen, that is not something we can do. What we are paying taxes for then?

It is indisputable that corruption has to a large extent pushed us into the corner we are. We are paying the hidden costs. Things are that much more expensive or that much more inefficient because somewhere, at our expense, someone is making a gain or someone who was not good enough is being given a contract. And the reality is that when someone makes a corrupt gain in the millions of ringgit, that is our money being handed over. That is our right to development that is being denied.

It is a sad truth that many of us will suffer the impact of a removal of subsidies, and suffer badly for it, because we have been robbed of the means to face these challenges by endemic corruption. We stand alone purely because the money we invested over the years to weave our safety nets has been stolen from us. There are not nets.

Managing change as such must involve increasing integrity, accountability and transparency. Corruption cannot be a part of the equation. Improving public service, regulating effectively and efficiently where it is needed and ensuring that things are priced based on their value rather than the private needs of a fat-cat official, will make it easier for Malaysians to deal with increased prices where those are really needed.

That is the least this government can do for us. It will save a staggering amount of money from cutting back on subsidies, money that can be deployed more effectively and equitably. Money that leaves no room for excuse.

(Malay Mail, 3rd June 2006)

MIS