ALTHOUGH I worked with the government for 32 years, throughout that time, I cannot say I ever had a personal meeting with the finance minister, much less one in the minister’s special meeting room on the top floor of the ministry building.

Therefore, this is my personal report of a challenging but meaningful meeting that eight of us had with the minister and his team recently. Our group was an eclectic mix of former PTD and Intan officers, and some private sector friends. We had the privilege of making recommendations on how we could move the country forward. We believe in Malaysia 2.0 and all her possibilities.

We had no specific agenda, other than some projects that needed creative resourcing. We had some novel ideas, and we really wanted officials in the Pakatan Harapan government to know that simple, ordinary citizens above 50 years old were genuinely concerned about PH and wanted it to succeed. We hope for a Malaysia 2.0.

With our combined experience of more than 200 years working with the government in various roles and capacities, we came together to put forward proposals on how to mobilise support and assistance for the B40 community, with the primary focus being getting the country back on track.

Budget dialogues

In the government corporate culture of the past, to have a budget dialogue was quite normal. The finance and other ministers would regularly meet different groups of citizens and industry associations to understand their requirements and concerns.

The feedback, when well collected and accurately aggregated, could define policies and the direction of the annual budget, while recognising industry and consumer needs and pains.

Our meeting was like a mini-dialogue. It is heartening that the minister and his team listened to and understood our concerns, and we left feeling that we were actually heard, even if not all our ideas got full agreement.

Our concerns

Our primary presentation focused on the B40 community, and considered questions on how we could mobilise sections of the group to participate in food production and security to offset the country’s food import bill.

Essentially, we spoke about how to mobilise unproductive sections of the community to utilise waste or unused land to creatively produce crops with a quick turnaround, to meet the immediate needs of the economy.

Among us was an entrepreneur who had developed and tested an aquaponics production system that could be demonstrated in real time and upscaled very quickly once its commercial viability was fully established. The minister understood the proposal, and immediately agreed to a collaborative funding model.

The second idea mooted was more technical, and focused on a key industry in Malaysia. Again, the minister immediately understood, and he even appreciated the needed finding model.

He said the science of the proposal and related ideas, even if with patent ownership, must be agreed by the energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister, who was the right person to consider the matter. He agreed to set up an appointment with her for us.

The third proposal was simpler. And once more, it was obvious to me that the minister was very aware about the differences between the functions of the legislative and executive. He advised us to make the appropriate requests for such services, and he would consider them.

My wish for Malaysians 2.0

I have stopped believing in Malaysia Incorporated. It’s like Vision 2020 – the dream of the whole country, but one that remains unfulfilled. We are already in 2020.

My proposal now is for Malaysians 2.0 to have a slightly different set of ideas. These ideas are held by the people. They are not merely a dream, but an expectation, and what we Rakyat Malaysia voted for on May 9, 2018.

It’s fair to say we not only voted for this reality, but also for the same set of ideas and ideals. Just because the previous government failed, after six decades, it does not mean the rest of us who have waited all this time can and will wait patiently forever.

The Tg Piai by-election was a clear and loud vote for rationality to be the basis of all new decision-making, not a blind adherence to an outdated form of emotionality. It was the moderate urban majority who made a major shift, and it was directly related to three core issues of complete and comprehensible rationality.

We, who were labelled Bangsa Malaysians, are Malaysians 2.0. We were born in Malaysia and we are citizens by law, and this right of citizenship can never be challenged. We are not Malay or Chinese or Indian or Iban or Kadazan first, but we are Malaysian first. – February 23, 2020.

* KJ John worked in public service for 32 years, retired, and started a civil group for which he is chairman of the board. He writes to inform and educate, arguing for integration with integrity in Malaysia. He believes such a transformation has to start with the mind before it sinks into the heart!

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.