I HAD a conversation with a young and bright entrepreneur from Penang lately. We were discussing the current Covid -19 crisis and the way forward for the country.

We spoke about the role that young people play in bringing about authentic cultural and structural changes. We thought that the government should be decentralised so that it can meet the needs of the people. It is important to have visionary leaders who are able to create a smart city and make use of big data to address issues like poverty.

In the context of this discussion, the young man told me that he had spoken to a local government official once with the intent of working together to distribute aid to the poor. Instead, the official told the young man about how he could obtain private gains from the act.  

The young entrepreneur was disappointed with the official and wondered if this thinking was prevalent in the country’s administration.  

There was a recent writeup about Malaysia being a failed state, which has drawn differing opinions.

In my view, Malaysia still has a fundamental structure of governance, unlike some countries in the Africa and West Asia where there are dysfunctional governments, civil war, or mass starvation.

The real issue with Malaysia today is the lack of principled and competent grassroot leaders who are able to empathise with the people and willing to take on corruption. Currently, we do not have such leaders in the government or in the opposition. All we have are just old guards of the system.

Malaysia needs a leader who is willing to challenge those who are part of the ethnoreligious establishment, as well as elites and civil servants who have benefitted from corrupt practices, and put in place an effective check-and-balance mechanism.

Singapore has become the developed nation that it now is because of Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy. We should ask ourselves if we have leaders that are equally as capable.

Therefore, there is a need for a revolution in Malaysia’s leadership if we are to overcome the Covid-19 crisis and avoid the fate of a failed state. Young Malaysians should take charge and rebuild a nation riddled with corruption culture.  

* Ronald Benjamin 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.