Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians (2017, 2018, New and Expanded Edition) by Anas Alam Faizli, Book Review

Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians (2017, 2018, New and Expanded Edition) by Anas Alam Faizli

The title of this book says it all. “Malaysia’s socio-economic structure can be summed up in four words: ‘Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians.’ Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural resources, with petroleum being the most precious,” writes Anas in Chapter 9 Malaysia: High Income Nation, Low Income Rakyat. “Land, resources, a large youthful population - Malaysia has all the essential ingredients to flourish. How did this small countries of 30 million people manage to gain the unsolicited title of being among the region’s most unequal nations of rich and poor? What happened?” As of this writing, by the end of 2020, the population in Malaysia is expected to reach 33.1 million. Everything mention in this book is still happening - even worst. So, what happened?

Maybe I’m too pessimistic and over-simplistic. As I finished reading these 34 essays on “Malaysia’s problems,” the impression that I get can be boiled down in one word: Corruption. Corruption to the core. There are three key issues that Anas tackles in this book, namely - Energy (or Resources), Education and Economy - to borrow Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s 3E in the foreword of this book. The first part about Malaysia’s petroleum resources hit hard on me as Sarawakian, especially in Chapter 5 Higher Royalty Versus State Ownership of Petronas, which is an issue that we still fight until today. Yes, rich Sarawak, poor Sarawakians. In the second part, Anas highlights socio-economic issues such as education, health care, inequality, foreign workers, poverty, welfare, women’s empowerment, environment, Islam, etc. To me, his insight on education is very interesting and persuasive. While I do not totally agree with all of Anas’ analysis (as with some other subjects too), I wholeheartedly believe that “education is one of, if not the most, important solutions to all the problems that we are facing today.” In parts three and four, he expands on the previous subjects and added some other issues.

This book ends with a positive note. In fact, every chapter ends with some potential solutions and proposals for a betterment. There are “endless possibilities,” said Anas. “Nothing is impossible, no matter how hopeless the situation seems. Always remember that the sun only comes out after the darkest point of the night. The same goes for Malaysia.” To be honest, I’m almost giving up on Malaysia. But books like this, by caring fellow Malaysian, never fail to rekindle my fire and hope for Malaysia. Read it! Thank you Anas Alam Faizli. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Rich Malaysians in an Age of Hunger

What a typical Malaysian family would need to give up if we were to adopt the lifestyle of a typical family living among our marginalized, unseen and poor neighbours? Let us imagine:

“We begin by invading the house of our imaginary typical Malaysian family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes: beds, chairs, tables, Astro and television set, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a small kitchen table, and a wooden chair. Along with all of these, so goes the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his ‘wardrobe’ his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.

We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards… The box of matches may stay, a small bag of rice, some sugar and salt. A few sweet potatoes (or ubi kayu), already in the rubbish bin, must be hastily rescued, for they will provide much of tonight’s meal. We will leave a handful of onions, and a dish of long beans. All the rest we take away: the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned goods…

Now we have stripped the house: the bedroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. Next we take away the house. The family can move to a smaller house with no fan… Communications must go next. No more newspapers, magazines, books, smart phones, tablets, computers – internets! – not that they are missed, since we must take away our family’s literacy as well. Instead, we will allow only one old radio instead…

Now government services must go. No more policemen, no more firemen, no 1Malaysia shops. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms… There are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nearby. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided that the family has a bicycle, which is unlikely… by boat if the family can afford to buy petrol… Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash of RM15 daily. There are no way to apply for BR1M because nobody care for marginalized people anymore, not even valid Malaysian citizen with I.D. card. The family may get a one-time cash of RM6k if only they ‘sell’ their soul and faith for a religious. Most of the time, ignored.”*

How many of our brothers and sisters confront that kind of grinding poverty today? (Maybe less, but surely happening today). Probably at least hundreds (or thousands, who know) of people in Malaysia are as poor as this. They know hunger in a way that most of us have never known. Why? Not because it doesn’t exist, but because we don’t care to know and see. Jesus through the apostle John is telling us now: “[If] anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18, ESV). For the sake of Christ, are we identified with the hunger and the poor (as above imaginary family situation)? Do we care for the marginalized and the oppressed? Do you love Christ?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*I use and modified the imaginary family analogy above from Ronald’ J. Sider’s Rich Christians in An Age of Hunger book (Introduction, Part 1).