HERE’S where we stand in 2022 after 60 years, save about two from 2018-2020, of Barisan Nasional rule.

Transport

There are more than 200,000km of road, 1,851km of rail and 18 ports and 22 airports in the country. Highways are mainly along the west coast of Semenanjung Malaysia while in East Malaysia, the only expressway is the Pan Borneo Highway.

Both state and federal roads are poorly maintained with potholes everywhere. This was confirmed by the works minister on June 20 when he revealed that an allocation of RM3.4 billion was needed to repair federal roads on the peninsula.

Outside major towns, especially in rural areas on the east coast of Semenanjung and East Malaysia, accessibility to roads is still limited 

Rail networks are concentrated in the west coast of the peninsula, especially within the Klang Valley. Outside these areas, rail network coverage is limited. 

Despite new roads and rail lines surrounding Klang Valley, traffic jams are becoming worse. Frequent flooding of roads in and around the city has worsened the traffic gridlocks, which are now to be expected whenever it rains. 

Punctuality and efficiency of intracity rails are still a work in progress. The less said about the buses and taxis, the better.

Connectivity

Twenty-six million of the the country’s population of 32 million are aged 16 and up; the number of smartphone users in Malaysia was estimated at 29 million as at end of 2021.

Despite the high number of users and five mobile service operators, connectivity is still restricted mainly to cities and town areas only. Outside these areas, connectivity is sketchy, oscillating between 3G and 4G. 

In rural areas, one can forget about going online. In East Malaysia, connectivity outside the towns is a luxury

Utilities

Malaysia has abundant water resources and rainfall yet the nation suffers water shortages and water quality problems. 

The authorities claim that 100% of Malaysians have access to water but the reality on the ground is different, especially in Kelantan and East Malaysia, especially the interiors.

Even in the Klang Valley, water disruptions are frequent.

Ditto for electricity access.

Healthcare

Even though the government touts the public healthcare system as among the best in Southeast Asia, people living in the rural areas still lack access to clinics and hospitals.

Environment

Illegal logging is ongoing at various forests. Environmental degradation occurs undetected in pockets across the country and when exposed, illogical excuses or justifications are given to the public. Some even deny their occurrence despite photographic evidence

Forests reserves are quietly degazetted to make way for commercial development over protests from the people

Waste management practices still have a long way to go

Urban landscaping

Urban green spaces are converted to artificial surface due to urbanisation, leaving residents in most towns and cities exposed to an increasingly warmer climate 

Economy

Graduate unemployment, high cost of living, food insecurity worsened by increasingly expensive imports, even for basic food item, growing crime rate, higher poverty, unequal distribution of wealth, corruption at every levels, especially among politicians and civil servants, are some of the problems besetting the country.

Education

Education has been a contentious issue for the last 20 years.

The increasing number of unemployed graduates speaks volumes about the state of education in the country

The mushrooming of private universities across the country – has it only been for profit?

Manners

We’re used to jeering at the behaviour of our neighbours and other Asian countries but the sad reality is, while the citizens from these countries are increasingly civilised, a growing number of Malaysians are going the opposite way. We rush for free food, jostle our way into trains, drive and behave badly on the roads, and park anywhere we please.

Cleanliness at public toilets is a continuing embarrassment

Politics

More and more politicians are behaving like morons, insulting the intelligence of the people with their mindless gibbering.

Their priority is power and not the interests of the people who voted for them.

News nowadays are all about the corruption and bribery committed by the politicians – all explained away as political donations – and nothing about plans to benefit the people.

I am not unpatriotic nor do I want to paint a bad picture, but the truth is the truth even if it hurts.

The politicians will tell you we are better off than the Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Nepalis, Myanmars, Filipinos and Indonesians who have to come here eke out a living. That’s not setting the bar very high, is it? – June 22, 2022.

* FLK reads The Malaysian Insight.