LETTER | Misuse and abuse of public funds must stop

LETTER | The misuse of public money by the government must stop at all costs. The political class and the elites clearly have a monopoly on determining how the rakyat’s money is spent. The instincts of the political class are to spend on what they perceive to be populist, not on what makes the most sense in economic terms.

Maybe it is time the country consider and put together a committee comprising eminent entrepreneurs, public figures and credible corporate leaders representing different sectors of the economy and strata of society to advise the government on its expenditure.

These should be people with a wealth of experience in managing large sums of monies and who are not constrained by the temptation to buy votes.

Let corporate leaders and eminent entrepreneurs and public figures have a say in how public money is spent. To address the potential conflicts of interest between the corporate leaders and entrepreneurs and the businesses or sectors they helmed, measures should be put in place to address any such situation should it arise.

Corporations pay the most tax and also support the population by providing many jobs, thus they should have a say and participation in the governance of the country on how the taxes they paid are spent.

Tax revenue remains the single-largest source available to the politicians and civil servants to pilfer. And where does this money go? We have no infrastructure worth the money the government claimed to have incurred to build it, no security for the average Malaysian, and health coverage for ordinary Malaysians is still lacking.

That is why even with the change of government in 2018, it did not change things for the common rakyat. It is as if a non-stop lavish banquet is on and the elections only change the side from which they are eating. Does the government have the guts to take a bold move and end it?

Right now, a lot of Malaysians are ashamed of the nonsense that is our government. The corporate sector may be driven by profit, but most of them realise that a prosperous and well-cared for population means better business and more profit for them.

On the other hand, all politicians have a vested interest in keeping the people backward, poor, illiterate and embroiled in frivolous non-issues so they can be exploited as vote banks. Many politicians use their positions to promote family businesses or the prospects of their family members. Entrepreneurs and corporate leaders can’t be any worse than this.

Only a value-based political system can ensure proper utilisation of money as it will create a sense of accountability among the people’s representatives and government officials. This is sorely missing in our society and country.

As it is now, all the political parties are the same in their character, involved in various scams and in misusing public funds. Their lifestyles are that of the rich and famous. They should learn to live a simple life, like a typical middle-class family in Malaysia.

The only people who doubt this suggestion are the corrupt politicians and those benefitting from it.

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