What a stupid country we have become

Some people say stupidity is boundless and I agree. Yes, what a stupid country we have become.

COMMENT

‘By TK Chua

1. When after more than 50 years of independence, we can’t even agree on the theme of our Merdeka celebration. Not only we can’t agree; we can’t even agree to disagree.
2. When leaders accused of committing wrongs could just turn around talking about football, panda, pornography and nakedness.
3. When foreign bandits can just come in, kidnap our people, including even our police personnel, and demand ransom. It seems there is nothing much we can do; the border is too long and porous apparently.
4. When farting NGOs are the fastest growing “industry” in the country today. What a wonderful contradiction: non-governmental organizations depending on government for funding?
5. When scandals are the norm but achievements the rare exception. Everything we touch has turned into mud; everything we do, we start with clearing the messes inflicted on ourselves first.
6. When the likelihood of getting caught or the severity of punishment is disproportionate to the gravity of the crime. If you have the opportunity, please don’t steal a tin of milk for your hungry child, try to steal a couple of millions or billions. It is safer and more worthwhile.
7. When our new airport (KLIA2) needs five years to solve its sinking tarmac and parking aprons. Did we build the airport according to specifications at all?
8. When Johor needs to get potable water from Singapore. Do we have any pride left? Can you imagine what if Malaysia is Singapore instead; I think we would have died of dehydration and thirst a long time ago.
9. When unable to manage and maintain a simple structure, we want to build sophisticated nuclear plants.
10. When our ruling elite (yes, from both PR and BN) are only interested in setting up more investment corporations but not bothered with contamination in our catchment areas, depletion of our forests, mega congestions and garbage and filth everywhere.
11. When some of our amenity and infrastructure projects like hospitals and road upgrade take forever to complete.
12. When any criticism directed at government is a threat to Parliamentary democracy. Parliamentary democracy surely has assumed a new meaning in Malaysia.
13. When all problems faced by the country are attributed to foreign press and blogs, Jews, Caucasians, Christians, Chinese Malaysians and DAP or a permutation of that order, depending on which side of the bed the nincompoops get up each morning.
14. When reasons for donation from a foreign source can vary from day to day depending on weather – from fighting against IS, reinforcing UMNO, supporting/promoting Sunni Islam, to fighting the Jews, Christian and DAP conspiracy. I think they should make up their mind by now if they have minds at all.
15. When falling ringgit is good for exports and tourism. Do they know that we now have to export more or serve more tourists to earn the same amount of foreign exchange?
16. When hudud is the panacea for all sins, immorality, crimes and other social ills. Why the sages of centuries past didn’t think of this earlier must remain a mystery.
17. When wheelers, dealers and influencers get rich, but workers and producers remain poor.
18. When we talk endlessly about gods, morality and rule of law but everything decent is turned upside down. I think the degree of hypocrisy is unfathomable when some ministers claim that their appointment is divine sanctioned.
19. When unable to control information flow in the social media, they now want to ban blogs, news portals and even FB.
20. When unfettered import of foreign workers is a must even though we now have two million public sector workers doing “unreal” jobs while the number of unemployable graduates continues to mount.
21. When authorities can claim ignorance to human trafficking and mass graves littered all over our northern border.
22. When shadow play (wayang kulit) is no longer a play but a reality; when being conniving, manipulation and diversion are the order of the day.

Okay, I think 22 is a good number to stop. If you have any, please add on.

TK Chua is an FMT reader.