Nothing could be better than living a modest, simple and free life in an egalitarian society. – Karl Popper.

CONSUMERISM is one of the causes of fragility when you end up spending beyond your means.

Greed and envy are the main attributes for our unbridled human desire in this material world.

People have been leveraging on financing facility to take up loans which is essentially betting on yourself.

The pandemic hit us all hard as it exposes this weakness within governments and society. What else have we been betting on?

Loan moratoriums may only benefit us temporarily but this breathing space allows borrowers to realign their commitment with reality.

Life goals have definitely changed for many, as survival was the only thing everyone had in mind.

Shockwaves to the economy will always come from defaulters comprising of salary people first to be hit by the recession.

Malaysia went through its most memorable one in 1998 which made many question our fiscal policy and exposure in trade.

The government, however, took measures and offered bailouts to companies that were linked to the people in corridors of power. 

How different is it now as we suffer from another setback due to administrative inefficiency during the pandemic?

It’s a plethora of problems for any sitting prime minister as he must struggle with political survival and a health crisis altogether.
 
Reformasi in 1998 was subdued by the authoritarian leader against strong call for reforms in respective institutions that enabled corrupt practices and caused democratic injustices.

There was never a constitutional crisis as Umno remained undivided despite an exodus. It was not enough to cause an upset by the Opposition then.

A healthy economy comes from a fit government. In fitness, if you keep your macronutrition and exercise in check, accountability becomes your value.

 There will no doubt be some bad days that you tend to overlook as priorities may change. In moderation, everything will come together again.

National pandemic management should start with a big idea before milestones are set.

It is welcoming to hear our health minister speaking of a new narrative by accepting Covid-19 as endemic in near future. 

Rebuilding our society must be shaped by new ideals after going through our first pandemic.

It may not be our last but we understand better now on balancing policies with survival and continuity.

Whatever is in excess is always bad, as we all know since young. Ultimately excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

Parliament is not just a playground for politicians as their voice must echo the people who elected them in the first place.

Political party constitutions may be subjected to the whim and fancy of respective presidents, but our Perlembagaan Negara must be honoured like a real citizen.

To our members of Parliament, think about the legacy you want to leave behind and not how you want to live on borrowed time. – September 10, 2021.

• Aidi Amin 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.