If Mambong Youth Could Think.

A Youth's Hidden Voice 
  
1. Unlocking Janji Setiap Generasi

Generation Y could change the election this year with many of them are registered voters. It is now that the current government has put youths in the election agenda with many one-off payments have been given out. Smartphone rebate, Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia, 1 Malaysia Book Voucher and so much more. The initiatives have been carried out to champion the heart and mind of the Gen-Y as they were neglected in Penang, Kelantan and Kedah. In Selangor the Gen-Y are survived by development and job opportunities. The great migration of youths from Kelantan to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor is not a prove that PAS has failed to develop Kelantan, but the failure of Federal Government to increase the oil royalty to Kelantan.

Nevertheless, the failure has been diverted to a humble political party (PAS) as a incapable and weak party for the Malay Gen-Y. There were gathering of migrated Kelantanese to persuade them to reject PAS and embrace UMNO who could develop Kelantan and it youths. The one-off payment to the Gen-Y nationwide is not an answer to gain support for current government but a desperate move to persuade the neglected youths, who are not involving in Barisan Nassional youth’s movement such as UMNO Putera and other youth wings in BN component parties. These “neglected” youth are working hard to compete in the most challenging job market with high demand in private sectors and quota system in public service.

Although there are many programs provided by the Ministry of Youth and Sport, we are yet to get the best talent of youth in Malaysia, as they are not keen in government agenda as there is always political agenda to corrupt the youth.

And the golden question is; are me the Mambong youth affected or benefited from all those programs and agendas?

2. The Poor, Desperate and Determined.

I always say that the Mambong youths are poor, desperate and determined, yet helpless. I’ve been to many villagers and have many friends over there namely they are Tibia Bi’Annah, Bisitang, Penyawa, Biperoh, Bisapug, Braang and Biatah. I have yet to see our best and successful entrepreneurs from Mambong after years under the rule of Barisan Nasional. Maybe, there is but they are unseen. What I know the most is there are entrepreneurs; class F contractors survive under YB patronage and small project from counsels, district offices and direct tender from government.

I believe that there are many talented Mambong youths who need helps and guidance to develop their talents and commercialize them.  We have lawyers, engineers, doctors, business study graduates, farmers, mechanics and many more.  Those groups of people need sustainable programs and help to improve their living and at the same time compete among them to be the best in their field of talent. Yes, being an employee is the best choice to avoid business hazards and risk but we need to improve our living standard and eradicate the poverty line among the Mambong constitution.

Aung San Su Kyi has seen years of desperation of youths during Junta government. She knew that youth will take over the country’s rule but, without knowledge, skill and talent the country future will never change under the next rulers and care-takers. That is why during her visit to UN assembly, she begged for foreign investors to develop youth talent under vocational programs skill development and technology transfer program to Burma. She hoped that foreign companies who are interested to invest in Burma will not only reap the wealth and go away but to help the Burmese youth to develop their skill and knowledge in certain field of technologies.

We are less fortunate in Mambong because our Gen-X are mostly farmers, laborers, civil servants and employees. We are not expose to entrepreneurship because we have no Bidayuh businessman/business women who could guide us on their business expertise. What made the Chinese successful in their business is their unity and determination to develop the next generation of business person to sustain their legacy through family apprenticeship, business chambers and associations. Yes, there are disputes, conflict in their business and sometime it claims their live. But that is business risk that they have to take to success in life.

Although there are entrepreneurship programs under the government agencies such as MARA, SEDC, PUNB and so much more, we are could not make it happens to be a successful entrepreneurs due to lack of skills and the most needed, 10% start-up capital. Can we have that from Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia?

3. Great Migration.   

The reasons why our youths migrated to Johore, Kulala Lumpur and oversea are because of job opportunities, wages and family survival. SCORE  has promises thousands of job opportunities but it seems to be too good to be true as we seen one after another factory are closing down in Sarawak. Our graduated youth chooses to stay in Peninsular because there are better opportunities and job offer compare to Sarawak. Some of them are mangers in multinational companies with good pay. Although we have many richest state-own companies, the high positions are given to a beneficial holders kin and not to the most suitable and capable person. It happens in SALCRA, SAINS and CMS.

The unfair treat in job opportunities could be the reason to stay in peninsular and settle down for better living. This great migration is denied by our politician and this phenomenon has put Sarawak as sluggish state in economic development after Sabah and Perlis. Patronage job market produces incompetent work force and professional to boost Sarawak’s economy. And what we get is a fat lazy rich manager in an office who punch card at 8.00 am and 5.00 pm while the rest of the workers are toiling hard for less pay.

4.    The Homeless.

The price is house in Sarawak in the most expensive after Labuan F.T. In Labuan the price of house is expensive because of land scarcity. In Sarawak, the price of house is expensive because there are no price regulations made by either state government or federal. The reason will always be on the increase price of building material and labor. A small terrace house now is about RM 200,000.00 per unit and the average income of the youths is about RM 2000.00 per month with 5-6 years of working experience. Can they afford a house? Yes. A low cost or PPRT which are built far away from their working place such as Semariang, Muara Tebas, Lundu, Serian and Siburan.

The great increase of house price is not due to material factors but the corrupt law and regulation in controlling house price. The monopoly of building material buy our politician’s companies give no choice to developer to sell an affordable price of house as they have to make profit from every single house they built. Therefore, we cannot blame on the price of land and the developers’ cost themselves but all aspect of house constructions themselves such as steel, concrete, timber and land price.

The increasing price of house and sluggish increment of wage leave no room for the youth to own a house but leaving them homeless and desperate to survive with high living cost. 

The Winners and Losers.

The youths are the losers in every government policy to develop a prosperous nation. Politic of cronyism and patronage have put Sarawak into great brain-drains and unproductive youths as the next leader and care-takers. If youth could not think and change, we will have a copycat of corrupted and incapable generation as what we have now. 

A Divine Cause

People say that politic should never mingle with religion because religion may corrupted by politic. These two entity could not match well as they are solely contradicted in their practices. 

For me, politic and religion should mixed equally so that both entities can work well for better community. There must be equalily mixtures of understanding, belief and morale value in both politic and religion. It cannot be too much politic and too less religion or vice versa. When there is too much religion, economic development might be retarded by religious restrictions and customs such as development of amusement park for tourism. It applies to a scenario when there is too much politic and too less religion, as a government will easily corrupted by low morale leaders and politicians.

Imam Ruhollah Khomeni cause has proven to the Islamic nations that religion is needed to neutralize corruption in Iran during Islamic Revolution in January 1978 - February 1979. As an political exile in Turkey and sometime in Iraq, he never stop thinking of the importance of good religion value to save Iran from corrupted Shah Mohammad Reza.

Divine cause also should applied to the world second largest religion; Christianity. Some churches forbid politic in their organizations but they cannot clean-up "corruption and scandals" that tarnished the church's reputation. That is why Pope Benedict resigned because he cannot save the Catholic from all those "issue".

In every religious institutions there must be corruptions since the institutions are governed by ordinary people. We lost zakat contribution few years and we could not do anything about it because we are forbid to talk about the issue. And it happened to our chapels where tight and contribution are not audited. Churches never perform financial and asset audit because they are non-taxable organization. In many cases, chapel are not maintained and the congregation get lost in faith and hope.

All those politics and religion issue have only one; what is the divine cause in politic as a religious person?

I believe that a cause against corrupted politic is the answer. Every religion teaches us to be a good person and to serve our God and country with a clean hands and heart. We must reject politic of hatred and corruption. If we put religion value first in every causes, we will win our political battles because we are well prepared spiritually.

Defining who God is for and putting judgement on other people as sinners is a mere immature politic. As a politician, we should encourage good behavior, equality, good governance and most importantly; love of peace and freedom.