YOURSAY | Outriders do nothing but inflate politicians’ egos

YOURSAY | ‘Unless these VIPs resolve traffic woes, they should suffer like the rest of us.’

Get rid of police outriders for ministers, deputies - Steven Sim

PurpleRabbit4068: I believe many road users have experienced these outsiders behaving like the roads are all theirs by intimidating other road users to give way to them.

They pressure road users to give way to them quickly as they travel at a very high speed. We feel so belittled by these outsiders whenever they appear. We pay their salaries and the VIPs in the black-tinted cars, but we need to step aside for them to pass.

I cannot agree more with Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim - unless these ministers resolve the long-standing traffic woes, they should be like any other citizen and face the traffic jams.

In this case, Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim’s son was not even entitled to such privilege and this clearly is an abuse of power. This is how the taxpayers’ money is being used and wasted.

Vijay47: A single act that reveals two obnoxious streaks that course through the veins of a coarse nouveau riche family.

The first is the sheer “cheap-skateness” that the son of the father would actually demand a police escort. Humility is lost in this lost family.

The father, in his son’s defence, may claim that the vehicle stopped by the outrider was not an ambulance, a privilege available for the moment only to prime ministers.

Secondly, the son appears not satisfied with his father’s providential riches, he seems compelled to display the fact to all and sundry. No decently brought-up person would stoop to such low antics.

The only small consolation, if at all it be that, is that the police have issued a strong statement of their views on the matter and what they intend to do about it. But then again, haven’t we heard that song before?

Perhaps darling son was rushing to a delayed celebration of the father’s equally providential escape from proceedings.

MerdekaMerdekaMerdeka: Malaysia likes the safety of its prime minister to be on par with that of the US president.

An attack (let alone, an assassination) on the US president has global impact on financial markets, trade, politics, etc. And down that same road are other world leaders needing to be protected.

However, besides bleeding the coffers of national funds and unnecessary utilisation of government resources, our local outrider services only serve one purpose - to inflate our politicians’ egos, which are already bursting at the seams.

There are no other earth-stopping reasons to continue this wanton waste of taxpayers’ money.

Maya: Indeed, this is a blatant abuse of power. It is nothing less than arrogance - from the way ambulances are stopped to the kids of ministers having joy rides with police outriders leading them.

Day by day we are seeing the rotten system being abused to the core by the powers “elected” to do so.

Now, we even have full ministers who lost the election leading important ministries. One such is the Education Ministry (Mohd Radzi Md Jidin).

Iammi: We put them there and pay them enormous salaries and allowances every month, but they don’t want to experience our daily difficulties. Instead, they used resources meant for the rakyat.

Come next election, they’ll come begging us for votes as though they’re our saviours. And stupid us will queue up in the hot sun so that they can lord over us for the next five years before another begging season.

Ipoh PP: It’s no use babbling and making so many comments here in Malaysiakini. We, the rakyat, have got to wake up from slumber. For too long, we have been taken for a ride by the very people we voted for.

Police outriders should only be for the Agong and the sultans. Even the outriders for the prime minister should be withdrawn.

It’s time for a complete withdrawal of all these perks for ministers and deputies. They need to experience the lives we live.

BlueMouse0551: Clearly, this is sheer abuse of power and government resources.

We are aware of Azeez’s alleged corruption scandals and unethical enrichment of self and his family. The case is still ongoing, but we simply can’t tolerate any more of these people taking the safety of other road users for granted and posing a danger to them.

Yes, stop allocating and get rid of these extra outriders to these shoddy ministers, deputy ministers and their families - these children have to earn their respect through their own efforts, hard work and achievements. They are not entitled to our respect.

MBoleeh: The problem is the “to serve” or “to be served” mentality.

In Malaysia, these politicians and their families are expected to be served and there are many bootlickers who are willing to serve them to get just a tiny piece of the pie. As a result, the rise of the untouchables and their little Napoleans.

This has to stop, starting with the leadership example of the current prime minister. He should stop his need to be surrounded by a big entourage to demonstrate his power and importance. If he has the confidence, he does not need these ego boosters.

Betul Malu Bukan Malu Apa: Just imagine that the police have to provide outriders service to Malaysia’s bloated, unelected, 72-member cabinet of ministers and deputies. Even a convicted felon has police outriders when he wanted chicken rice for lunch.

Pakatan Harapan should include abolishing the outrider service in its GE15 manifesto.

Public Transit Is Better Than Highways: In Switzerland, they give their leaders a free annual season pass to use what is arguably the best railway system in Europe.

In Malaysia? We give our leaders free police units to boss over other drivers so they can reach their destination faster.

The solution isn’t to have more outrider units - it’s to start by making public transportation more available, affordable, and safe so no one has to be stuck in a traffic jam.

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