LETTER | Political rewards are insensitive when so many lost jobs

LETTER | No one can predict when the Covid-19 ends like we can’t predict our political dramas that seem to be having more and more dramatic episodes.

Economically, the hell-born virus has been damaging people’s survival, and it’s sad to know that there are hundreds or maybe thousands of badly-affected Malaysians who are not entitled to the national aid initiated by the Muhyiddin Yassin-led government.

But what happens in the domestic political world seems to be far different compared to what we have to currently endure as normal people.

Politicians of the ruling bloc, especially those who have membership in the House of the representatives, are now being busily rewarded with positions.

Every appointment is surely remunerated, and that’s why netizens keep sarcastically saying: “Luckily, despite the covid, unemployment is now slowly being reduced.”

It’s not fictional that people are suffering financial troubles as many of them are no longer earning like the good old days when everything can be budgeted from their regular salaries.

Before the advent of the coronavirus, small entrepreneurs could still be alive even though their revenues were not as grand as those called “businessperson”.

But today, they are suffocating and they are screaming for help and desperately seek for air to breath.

While politicians are clamouring to get more and more political rewards such as appointments as chairpersons.

I don’t want to be a judge for the deeds done by politicians, but when many normal people are wanting to be fed with proper and adequate meals, I wonder how those poor men would feel after knowing that their monthly-remunerated peoples' representatives get employed for another paid position despite the economic pains.

It’s very insensitive to give out political appointments when unemployment has been the talk of the day since the global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Money matters to everyone and getting money to buy food is the only objective of life for many of us, especially those who were recently ejected from their jobs.

The appointments of politicians into government-linked companies (GLCs) cannot be undone, but I hope that for the next six months, those who have become chairpersons in GLCs or government agencies won’t take salaries or any allowances.

That’s the least they can do to respect the sensitivity of the people who are financially affected by the previously-enforced movement control that unpleasantly resulted in the end of many careers.

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