When comedians like Harith Iskandar pillory Ministers not just on stage, but in the public domain, the stocks of His Majesty’s Ministers and Deputy Ministers have fallen to a new low.
Harith is right that going by Ahmad’s definition that the deputy minister has got three jobs as Pontian MP, deputy international trade and industry minister and Umno information chief, he (Harith) would have got six jobs – as comedian, emcee, writer, actor, coach and director!
However, as Harith rightly pointed out, it does not mean he has six jobs but only that he does six different things.
In fact, going by Ahmad’s definition, the person having the most jobs in the country would be none other than the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself.
He is Prime Minister, Finance Minister (at one time, even trebling in Cabinet as Minister for Women), UMNO President, Barisan Nasional President, MP for Pekan, going to be Chairman of the highly-criticised National Security Council, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the much-maligned 1MDB – and Chairman of countless government-related boards and commissions, a list which Najib himself would not be able to recite offhand.
Does this mean, going by Ahmad’s definition, that Najib is the most overworked and underpaid person in the country?
Not to forget a job which Najib had accomplished without equal in the world, getting RM2.6 billion donation for a general elections which were deposited in Najib’s personal banking accounts before the 13th General Election in March 2013!
Very soon, comedians like Harith would have to call it a day because Ministers and Deputy Ministers like Ahmad Maslan, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Paul Low and even Najib would have taken over their jobs; leaving the professional comedians probably with the option of venturing into politics to encroach into the protected domains of the Ministers and deputy ministers!
This whole episode would been quite fun to end the year 2015, except that it is reflection of a grim and gloomy year, not only hounding Malaysians with two mega scandals – Najib’s RM2.6 billion donation and RM55 billion 1MDB – but haunting the people with the host of economic woes caused by GST (Goods and Services Tax) implementation, devaluation of the Malaysian Ringgit, fall in the price of commodities, flight of capital and loss of confidence of foreign investors.
Parents preparing their children for the new school year found that prices of school supplies have gone up by 30% while low-income Malaysians face a hard and harsh new year, sandwiched between falling incomes and rising prices with simple pleasures like goreng pisang, satay and tom yam not spared the inflationary spiral.
Instead of Ministers and deputy Ministers doubling up as comedians, the Government should come out with an economic blueprint to increase the people’s productivity and incomes – which is what Najib’s Budget 2016 had dismally failed to do.
Najib should take the opportunity of a Special Parliament at the end of January to present a revised Budget as well as a special economic blueprint for Malaysians to face up to the hard and harsh new year.
Why make such a fuss about school supplies going up 30%? Cut down the school supplies by 30% lah! (1/3 pencil, 1/3 pocket money, etc.). Are not the rakyat supposed to bear the brunt of politicians’ bungling incompetency? One thing about being a Minister in Malaysia is that one does not have to account for failures like the 1 MDB losses and the Donorgate, amounting to billions of ringgit. GLCs are the best place to be in businesses where you can enjoy profit but not suffer pain when you suffer losses. Uncle Samir will always bail you out, even deny your wrong-doings for you!