I'm going to talk about liquor. Liquor has been hogging the headlines... first the confiscation of the beer at Shah Alam and then the now famous issue of Kartika and her insistence to be whip in public. It was to be the first time such punishment to be executed in Malaysia... alcohol can put us on the world news...BBC, CNN .... top stories some more. BTW she also made it to the frontpage of the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times, a feat which very few of our corporate figureheads have been able to equal.
Anyway, kopitiams sometimes sell liquor. Everyone knows liquor tax is high. That makes it expensive. But people are still willing to pay to drink... But if you are an honest liquor salesman, it's going to be hard to make a living. Cos liquor is expensive. What we don't know is, liquor lari cukai have made their way in, just like rokok lari cukai. So, if you are an honest liquor salesman, you don't deal with liquor lari cukai, those kopitiams will not be making any purchases from you cos they can always buy the liquor lari cukai. Your cari makan days as a liquor salesman is over. Same goes for the honest cigarette salesman.
If you are an honest contractor looking for a tender, you can never look beyond small jobs. For big jobs come with big bags... for you to fill with gifts to the people you owe favours for securing those tenders. You've got to pay to secure those tenders... everyone is doing it. If you don't, then it's hard to move on. So, honest living again seems out of the question if you are looking into securing big jobs. That's what most people think.
Making an honest living? How to when we have people like Khir Toyo who shows the way to mansions fit for kings and queens from fairy land? And they tell you that it's from their honest living. So, the small people learn from the big fish... at the same time mutualism thrives.... I give you patronage, you give me your undying loyalty.
Buying a choice lot in a new project is another example. When you want to purchase one, inadvertently you will be told that they are sold out... BUT if you are willing to pay extra a few ten thousands... then a lot will become available. There is no transparency here.... you just have to take their words for it. So developers can always make a quick buck just by holding back the choice lots for those who don't mind forking the extra for it...
Read this report from The Star. Kelantan State Secretary Datuk Mohd Aiseri Alias said the survey conducted by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) showed that 30.5% of the students interviewed were willing to accept bribes if they had the power and the opportunity. This not new stuff... it's been there all along. Now they're just publishing what has been happening all these while.
The joke is on us... we seem to be getting more pious... but more are willing to accept bribes... Honesty??? It seems so yesterday. Where have the good people gone?
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