They have no time for politics or politicians. Talk about Malaysia’s being just 18% shy of being a high-income nation is talk from another world. They live in Malay-majority suburbs on the fringe of some of Kuala Lumpur’s swanky skyscrapers and the country’s best elevated highways but their everyday goal is more grounded: put food on the table and survive to fight another day. ‎

TO get a sense how the real Malaysia lives, just take a short drive from the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers and into the Malay-majority suburb of Lembah Keramat.

Here, there are no pie-in-sky dreams and people do not hang on to words or promises of political parties. 

Indeed, most of the people interviewed by The Malaysian Insight preferred not to focus on politics. An irony surely given that today’s landscape is cluttered with more political parties and groups representing the Malays than ever before and the media flush with news on the next polls. ‎ ‎

Mohd Bahanordin knows about Umno, Pas, Amanah, PKR and the rest. He is just indifferent to what they say.

He operates a drinks stall along a traffic-choked road in Lembah Keramat, and noted that competition has forced him to work longer hours.‎‎‎

“As a hawker, I have to work hard to put food on the table every night. I don’t care about the politics. I think that as long as we are not oppressed by the state, it should be fine.‎‎

“However, these days it’s a problem as zakat money also they want to take,” the 51-year-old Bahanordin said, referring to the zakat scandal in Penang.‎

“My understanding of politics is very poor. As long as the next government rules the right way, I don’t care who wins the next elections.‎

“Ten years ago, my salary was less than RM3,000. Ten years later, my earnings are still the same even after I got married and have two more mouths to feed,” said the former manager of a recording firm.

For 63-year-old Osman Ismail, senior citizenry does not mean much to him as he still has to work to stay afloat.‎

“This life is all about being hardworking. I do all kinds of jobs. We have to have money in our hands and not owe anyone anything.‎

“I am not rich, neither am I poor,” said the father of three who runs a sundry shop in front of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) flats in Keramat.‎

‎Rising cost of living‎

For another long-time Keramat resident, Aminah, the rising cost of living is worrying.‎

The single mother of four said she has been renting a flat there for more than 20 years but still cannot afford her own house.‎

“I work as a part-time cleaner now. I used to work at a shopping mall but I tire more easily now.‎

“It is a good thing I have this old Kancil. What else can I afford? If I want to buy a new car I would not be able to get a loan,” she said with her 10-year-old son beside her.

‎Aminah did not have more time to talk as she hurried off to clean another house before going home to cook for her children.‎‎

Politics and economy‎

Roslinda Ibrahim first arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Kelantan some 20 years ago.‎‎

“I have lived here for more than 20 years and voted here for more than 10. We work to earn a living and I don’t want to bother myself with politics,” said the 53-year-old mother of seven, hoping that more is done by the government to tackle the rising cost of living.‎ ‎

The consumer price index (CPI) jumped 5.1% in March, the highest in eight years due to the low base last year and higher retail fuel prices compared with March 2016.

Among the major groups which recorded increases were the indices for transport (+23%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (+4.1%), recreation services and culture (+3%), health (+2.6%), restaurants and hotels (+2.3%) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+2.1%).

Nawari Kudsin, who runs a chicken rice shop with his son, has noticed the shrinking clientele.‎‎

“I used to sell more than 30 chickens a day but now, it is only around 10 chickens,” he said.

“People’s purchasing power has dropped because of the economy,” said the 56-year-old.‎

He pauses to look at the distant Petronas Twin Towers once again. It lights up as it does every night. ‎

And tonight, it will be no different for him either as he goes back to waiting for the last customer so that he can go home and sleep. To return to another day. – May 28, 2017.