LETTER | Covid-19, farmers and fishermen: A lesson not to be missed

LETTER | As the health pandemic continues to reveal the many blunders made in the name of progress and development, the significance of farmers and fishermen cannot be overlooked.

For the past three decades, we went on a trajectory to fast track Malaysia into a developed world status.

But we failed to achieve Wawasan 2020.

And now, Covid-19 has set us many years back as our economy remains almost untenable and social resilience is frayed at its core.

When you look back you cannot run away from the fact that we did not pay equal attention to the power of the farming and fishing communities.

As much as building our human capital is important, we must now reckon that farmers and fishermen have a symbiotic role and purpose in strengthening a nation in good times and bad.

We took away prime and centuries-old farmlands to erect mega complexes, administrative centres, the world's prestigious superstructure, etc.

We displaced generations of farmers so much so our young frowned upon farming and went on to study pseudo sciences only to find today that airports turned into parking lots for grounded planes, buildings remained empty, and food prices fell victim to uncontrollable inflation.

We did not build our fishing communities as much as we chased after sprawling plantations and the much-touted tourism industry and today fresh fish has become a luxury for many homes.

Covid-19 reminds us that we need a balance. We need to return to that point in history whence we were self-sufficient.

Fast foods, processed meats, and big-city limelights have also robbed us of a robust immune system, leaving us most vulnerable to a threatening virus.

Joblessness, unserviceable loans for education, housing and vehicular ownership have trapped most families into tight corners giving rise to increasing suicide rates.

Today even restaurant operators are susceptible to borrowing from loan sharks. The impact is yet to be seen in the not too distant future.

It is time to pull the brakes on the government policies this far. We need to reset.

Our national agenda cannot continue to be at the mercy of politicians working in cohorts with technocrats and connected businessmen who only want profits even if it is going to be at the expense of farmers and fishermen.

Sustainability is the secret. Balanced development is the premium.

Let us be a little more humble and learn from our immediate neighbours in Asean. See how farming and fisheries are thriving alongside modernisation.

They may not have the world's tallest buildings and sprawling mega-sized administrative capitals or state of art airports.

But they have enough, affordable food for their citizens.

It is time to make farming and fishing as prestigious as pursuing tertiary education in social sciences if not more.

It is high time to make skills learning as dignified as studying professional courses.

Let Covid-19 permanently be a final warning that imbalanced, fast-tracked, copycat development cannot sustain a nation in bad times.

We need thinkers to converge and help reset the country's agenda for a future out of this pandemic.

We cannot leave it in the hands of politicians anymore. Covid-19 has to be a "Once bitten, twice shy" lesson for all Malaysians. 

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