Shaukat Ali's emotive piece lacks objectivity. Although Bolehland has ample opportunities for those focussed on becoming materially rich, these are largely confined to those who play ball with the Barisan Nasional.
They must be willing to turn a blind eye to (or even partake in) massive or simple corruption and to commonly not call a spade a spade but a heart. They must be constitutionally empowered to borrow and write off huge debts for business etc. and must have access to the complex political machinery to intimidate their business competitors etc.
For the rest, it is just like any other developing country - survival amongst the fittest and, in the case of Bolehland, the survival of the select fittest.
One positive issue which has come to light out of this protracted debate on emigration is that despite the gross attrition of talent, wealth and potential human resources, the Malaysian government quite happily (and rightly) gives complete freedom to its citizens to move globally.
This great scenario might actually be exploited in the arrangement of dual tax agreements if I choose to be a Malaysian tax payer whilst residing in say, Australia, it would be a win-win situation if I declared my income in Bolehland.
But, I do not - as I believe in supporting the host country which supports and encourages my work and my living purposefully as a human being - and I pay 47 percent tax and a levy on healthcare here in Australia.
Shaukat, there is nothing wrong in being able to freely criticise the government of the day. This is true democracy. I am happy that this is emerging in media such as this, and I am delighted that the government is taking notice of some of the feisty feedback.
Alright, you say that many of the immigrants are in it for the money. So what? Is it your business? What is wrong in wanting to earn some honest wages instead of receiving handouts or worse, getting the government or your RM1 company to bail you out?
Yes sir, we immigrants can and will make a big difference to any badly behaving government of Bolehland. Many of us still have business links and we can hurt it to the extent that it will transform into the likes of a neighbouring economy whose currency is not worth the paper it is printed on.
People will have such a low standard of living. Standards in every trade and profession will shoot down the tubes as they have already done. With the emerging Tigers, Elephants and Dragons in the region, where will Bolehland be in the global competition platform?
There will be economic and social implications and repercussions. And this will be difficult to control except with the increasing usage of the Internal Security Act. Perhaps the government is right in not repealing it as they will need it for the increasing number of dissidents who are just fighting for pure and simple justice.
Pak Lah's efforts to attract back appropriately qualified Malaysians is not novel and has been tried before. The challenge he faces is to sustain the environment he puts these people in and for how long their patience will stretched once the games of compromise, racial and religious politics start to be played.
Shaukat, the notes I have in my wallet (and bank account) comprise honestly hard earned and taxed money, every piece of it. I would like you to do a survey of the man or woman on the street in KL and ask the same question.
One may be wealthy materially there but in spirit, this would be very dubious. The problem, in a nutshell is a social one and it will take more than a lifetime to clean up. We who have migrated have correctly concluded that we will not see a new Malaysia during our remaining days on this planet earth.
But we are happy to partake in any cleanup process.
