LETTER | Heed Perak ruler’s call on social justice

LETTER | The Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue welcomes the speech by the sultan of Perak that skyscrapers do not give meaning if there are people still trapped in poverty, struggling to secure basic necessities like food and shelter.

He said this at the opening of the second meeting of the 15th state legislative assembly in Perak.

The content of the ruler's speech has great significance and antithesis to the culture of mainstream politicians, over the decades, who have impressed Malaysians and foreigners by building towering physical skyscrapers.

However, underneath such elite grandeur, there is a widening intra-ethnic wealth gap, while politicians opportunistically exploit ambiguous inter-ethnic wealth gap for political gains.

The fact that all ethnic groups, who are facing common issues, are placed on the backburner.

What is needed within the Malaysian polity is a sense of honesty, integrity and commitment to reducing the wealth and status gap between the rich and poor.

This is where politicians must go to the ground to hear the voices of people in their socioeconomic reality and come up with solutions to address structural injustice.

While Malaysians are struggling to make ends meet, politicians are competing with each other on who is more Islamic.

Will it not be better to analyse the role played by middlemen and cartels responsible for inflation and take the necessary action to minimise their role in the distribution of goods?

It will also be better for politicians of all stripes to come up with a consensus to enhance skills training in the nation by visiting their respective constituencies and identifying talents, registering youths and the elderly for courses to enhance their skills in the market.

This could become a national mission of social -justice, irrespective of political beliefs.

Skyscraper mentality of projecting religious ego, wealth and pomp should cease and a more egalitarian lifestyle should be formed to address real concerns of the people.

It is hoped that the Perak ruler’s speech will be taken seriously by politicians for the common good of all Malaysians.

Writer is the secretary for the Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.