WHAT say you my beloved fellow Malaysians, if after six months and after having been delighted with the RM8,664 assistance and savings, makcik Kiah and family still want assistance?

Her household income is lesser than the RM4,000 per month before Covid-19 because more people are unemployed and lesser customers.

Should the government carry on giving assistance and does it have the capacity to do so since no one will be left behind?

I trust the government has this scenario in mind now.

Though many has succumbed, Covid-19 has taught us a few things on how to prepare us for the future.

We have been talking about disruptive technologies for some time now, from self-driving cars to robots doing chores. We talked about artificial intelligence (AI) and a shift in how society will function.

But Covid-19 has disrupted our lives now even before disruptive technologies, and AI is full-blown and we cannot even see it. We will have more casualties if we are not prepared.

But through history, disruptive innovation has resulted in improved living standards in the long term.

Once cars and lorries are automated and robotics in factories, more people will be unemployed and we still have a sizeable number of foreign workers.

Sadly, most of them are low-skilled. Are we ready to handle the inequality and social problems then and there lower market demand and negative economy?

According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report, 54% of employees of large companies would need significant re- and up-skilling.

People are now getting used to working from home. We may not need big office spaces and lesser furniture and fittings, lesser traffic and lesser pollution.

The government can definitely reduce road maintenance costs, hopefully lesser need for more new roads, lesser accidents and save foreign exchange from lesser oil purchase.

I think the government should not only focus on direct financial assistance but also to mentally prepare Malaysians to be more resourceful and productive after Covid-19.

Ministries have to come up with ideas that require minimal assistance from the government. Bring together diversified knowledge, wide-ranging expertise and out-of-the-box ideas, i.e. drivers of change.

Businesses should not be thinking only about recouping losses and increasing shareholders value but sharing the cake, ensure sustainability and how to assist the government to move forward.

Corporate social responsibility will have a new face and organisations will need to show how they are acting responsibly.

At the WEF last year, people are already talking about, a “Home Anywhere” world, where consumers consciously limit what they own, instead subscribing to services, and a “Waste Nothing” world, where consumers want their values reflected in all their purchases and in the organizations they work for.

And it is not all about economics and politics.

Ministries have to work closely together and not as standalone units to look at how one can complement the other to achieve national objectives.

It is not a matter of “oh, it is not within my jurisdiction”. Scepticism, competitive dynamics and competitive rivalry there will be, but everybody has a social responsibility to work together to solve a common problem.

And please, come up with doable, sensible and impactful solutions to avoid unnecessary apologies.

Given the above, I believe makcik Kiah will not bother the government for additional assistance but will be deploying robots for her banana fritters and other businesses with the help of her daughter and be a successful businesswoman at Desa Tun Razak.

I am not trying to predict the future but together we can help shape it.

The icing on the pisang goreng will be the time when our grandchildren are independent and the government and rakyat relationship is at its best.

What say you? – April 4, 2020.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.