Why Are Kiasu Malaysians So Ungrateful?

The caring Malaysian government has generously offered to give every Malaysian aged 18 and above a free 1Malaysia e-mail account to receive statements, bills and notices from the government.



The Star Newspaper Headlines

But Malaysians appear to be an ungrateful or unappreciative lot, complaining that it is a hare-brained idea, a waste of public funds and a attempt by the Najib government to play Big Brother.

I don't understand my fellow Malaysians. After all, the 1Malaysia e-mail account is FREE! So what if you already have free yahoo, hotmail or gmail accounts? The more the merrier, as long as they are FREE! After all, isn't it a hallmark of a kiasu ( literally, "afraid to lose out" ) to want to have more and more freebies?

Further, Najib's government is so kind and caring that it even thought to award the RM 50 million contract to an alleged ailing company Tricubes Bhd to launch and manage the project. This is the spirit and characteristic of a truly caring government to help out those in need of some help.

As for the people's fear that public funds will be involved, Najib had assured Malaysians in a tweet before he went to sleep, that no public funds would be involved since it is the private sector that would be handing the matter.

What more assurance do we need? Malaysian leaders and the Malaysian government do not lie.

As to the public fear that the free 1Malaysia e-mail accounts may not be secure, Malaysians must remember that both the public and private sectors here in Malaysia have good records of managing their businesses. And if you still don't believe, you will just have to accept Najib's words.

Finally, to kiasu Malaysians who fear that the free e-mail project is just a clumsy attempt by the government to bombard Malaysians with pro-government propaganda and to keep track of their movements and what they are saying, doing and thinking, in other words to watch over them like Big Brother, let me ask my fellow Malaysians, what do you think the function of a government is but to take care of and watch over us like a big brother?

Oh, why are Malaysians so kiasu and ungrateful ( tidak bersyukur ) like how former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad used to lament!