theSun, Malaysia (page 14)
June 1st, 2011
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/57485
Everyone is a chef these days. Thanks to the multiple cooking shows and celebrity chefs, our general culinary skills have improved in some senses. A few years ago in Malaysia there weren’t many aspiring chefs; however with the airing of these programmes on Malaysian television, we aren’t shy to showcase our newfound talent. Previously, one would be hard-pressed to tick all the ingredients off one’s shopping list because we weren’t exposed to the variety of global foods.
What has changed in the past few years, however, is the availability of the different ingredients in supermarkets instead of having to find a suitable substitute. It wasn’t that there was no such thing as buttermilk or pecorino cheese –there just wasn’t a demand because we either didn’t know these ingredients existed, or if we did, we didn’t use them in our cooking.
Our lack of exposure and in some senses lack of interest was seen as a form of apathy and economically not fruitful. Therefore, there was little demand for these "exotic" ingredients due to our so- called indifference – though one has to wonder if it is really apathy, or the lack of information available which is the problem. If information is power, then the people who have information are powerful. What is deemed apathy is really the lack of information not just in terms of access but also in quality. Many times there are obstacles that stand in the way of quality information being disseminated to the masses which causes frustration and after a while, we don’t even bother trying to get the information. One has to wonder if the withholding of information is intentional or purely coincidental.
Community activist Dave Meslin explained it plainly using the example of a food review. If you were to look at a food review, all the information needed would be readily available in a separate text box. However, when it comes to more complex issues such as selecting local councillors, there is little information available. The same goes for scholarship application processes and selection criteria. This lack of information is frustrating and makes one wonder if those with the information really want people involved, really want people to apply or only a chosen few are given the information needed to apply.
If we are serious about transformation, being transparent about processes, elite group applications, selection committees and tenders, or even more trivial concerns like who is in charge of repairing potholes needs to be addressed to avoid a state of indifference so easily confused with apathy, when the real problem is the lack of information and available information.
The lack of information for those who have some information can cause a lot of misinformation to spread, breeding unnecessary speculation. That is why it is important to be transparent, to actually be of the mindset that people do care and are interested in knowing.
When there is a tariff hike or a subsidy cut, what is needed is clear and precise facts, not a sway of conflicting information which breeds cynicism. A tariff hike in any part of the world is not welcomed. However, people need information to back up the validity of the price hike. No one willingly parts with their money without first investigating the facts. Without balanced information, transparency of contracts and the allowance of competition, the people are forced to become mere spectators not only of what happens to the country but also their pockets.
In the Malaysian context there is a great void in the availability and access to basic public information. When a tariff is increased or a subsidy reduced, inflation automatically sets in. The reality is, when there is price hike of 20 sen for 1kg of sugar, the price of a teh tarik disproportionately increases by 20 sen even though logically it shouldn’t. So to the average person, a tariff hike does not just cause the belt to tighten; it also directly affects the price of other goods.
So the question remains, do we want people to be engaged in what happens in the country? If the answer is yes, then we need to dismantle the obstacles and provide clear and precise information.
Natalie understands the need for subsidy reduction. However the contradiction of wastage of public funds and the level of corruption needs to be addressed concretely and simultaneously.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
