Pray for Malaysia

Ten years ago this month, I quit my job with government-owned oil and gas company and joined an international company in the city. Many who quit their job around that time left Malaysia and went to oil rich countries in the Middle East. Back then, oil price was almost USD80 per barrel and rising. Many jobs were offered to experienced Malaysians who were prepared to pack up and go overseas. Ringgit was stable and jobs for the oil and gas industry were aplenty.

Now the tide has turned. Oil is still trading above USD40 but many oil and gas related companies are going through some sort of restructuring. A time for soul searching after a decade of industry euphoria that has abruptly stopped over the one last year when oil price took a plunge. The company I work for is not excluded. Its footprint in this country is shrinking and despite being one of the biggest energy companies in the world, many local employees feel like it is quitting this country. We have been told that our jobs now hang in the balance. We have to face a stark reality. A multinational energy giant has no loyalty to any particular country; it goes where its shareholder's values can be maximised regardless of how long it's been in a particular country.

The ringgit has breached the psychological level of RM4 for every US dollar. Economists can point to many factors for the ringgit's decline but what most people like me can relate to are the low oil price and the current political stalemate in the country. The government has been embroiled in a massive financial scandal and after decades of weakening democratic institutions, our check and balance system is now so damaged that it does not seem to be able correct the situation. I hear noises everywhere I go. In the mosque, the surau, the cafe, the office and even more so in Cyberspace. You almost hear nothing online these days but curse. How nice would it be if we could just leave this country, work for a stronger currency and not paying tax to a regime which waste our tax money on expensive lifestyle of our leaders.  Every day, I hear depressing talk of how bad we fare compared to our neighbouring countries. The noises remind me of the chaos of 1998 all over again.

I realise it is August, the Merdeka month. The Raya celebration has not even ended yet. I should be saying all things positive and patriotic. But instead all I am hearing and reading is the opposite. I wish I could turn a blind eye and pretend this is not happening. The only positive news I read is from Utusan and TV3, but I don’t read and trust them that much. May be I should be an ostrich, bury my head in the sand, watch TV3 more and read Utusan to lift my spirit. Yet, after all that happened in the last few weeks, it is hard to light up the Merdeka spirit this August.  Even less so when I could potentially lose my job after the company re-organisation. My wallet is hurting and my love for this country is really being tested.

When I think about it again, may be I should have followed my friends who left our shores to work overseas 10 years ago. I would have earned tons of money and have nothing to do with supporting extravagant lifestyle of people in power and the nonsense that is happening in this country. I don't feel like hearing patriotic songs anymore. It is so hypocritical of our delusional leaders to force the rakyat to sing it over and over again.  It feels like my patriotism is being robbed by them to keep themselves in power. Perhaps, we should follow our former future prime minister’s advice to those going to Mekah. Instead of singing Merdeka songs, we all should just go to our respective house of worship and pray to God that Malaysia will survive this difficult time. God save me. God save Malaysia!