It looks like we don't seem to have the money to educate our scholars now! We keep bombarding them with new systems of examinations each and every time a new education minister takes the helm but when the children make it despite all the hurdles before them, we can't seem to have enough money to educate them. Where have our priorities gone?

These scholars will now be actively looking for other sponsors to help them with the educational costs and in this process we will be contributing to a brain drain way before they are even properly qualified.

I wonder if the end is nearing? There seems to be so many bankruptcies being filed in court. The young are becoming bankrupt because they just cannot sustain themselves any more. Some are even going hungry so that the monies that they receive can be used for their families who are usually in very dire financial straits by the time these young people go to the university.

The leaders are now encouraging us to take on second and third jobs if such a situation can be warranted to make ends meet but yet we seem to see an endless flow of South Asian migrants here to take up most of the jobs which we Malaysians consider as not being dignified enough for their status.

So as a result of this, we see our youth of today working for South Asian migrants who have made it big here by sheer hard work and also by using the loophole of marrying local Malays and begetting children here. I am not going to go into the statistics here but by looking around, you can see what is happening before our eyes as to how we Malaysians have just simply allowed our beloved country to be taken over by these migrants.

Corruption and abuse of power takes place right before our eyes but those responsible are never brought to the fore. We lodge reports to the police but our reports go unheeded, there is an entire anti-corruption commission set up to check on corruption but they seem to be only adding on to the massive number of civil servants which Putrajaya has to pay every month.

We thought we could trust the prosecution services as being the defender of the civil liberties of the people of this nation but they too are not doing what they are supposed to do and finally when all doors are shut, we thought we could trust the Judiciary to safeguard the rights of the people, but sadly they too have disappointed us. Where does it go from this point?

The non-Malays are fed up, they know that by them rising it is not going to change anything in this country because the issue of race and religion will be the only clarion call that will be needed for Malays to band together to ensure that the status quo remains.

The issue is, how long are we going to continue in this descent without bringing those who are responsible for this predicament to book? The Malays know that the decision-makers are their own and not others, the Malays know that the nation's coffers are being siphoned off by their own and their loyal followers, the Malays know that if a clean and efficient administration is put in place though they may not like the leader who is clean and efficient just because of the party that he represents, there can be change.

But the question is are we the type of people that will rise to the occasion?

Signs are there for all to see

The signs are there for all to see, it is now becoming very obvious that there is just not much money left in the government coffers for it to function like it is used to. They have not come to the salaries yet but if push comes to shove, they will begin to restructure salaries if there is no other alternative.

Will that make the Malays rise? It may probably be the final push of the boiling lid. If that happens, then we must be prepared to see a regime change for the betterment of this country and the Malays as a whole.

Competition is everywhere and our neighbours are gearing up to take on the challenges, we cannot be expected to sit back and accept illogical answers for public funds which are being depleted by inflating the costs of infrastructural projects. The signs are clear that we will have to brace for very tough austerity measures like what we are seeing in Greece today if we are to ever come back to what we were when our economy was one of the best in Asia.

All this can be halted if the Malays begin to question their leaders and demand answers. Legislations which goes against the safeguards provided for by the federal constitution can only be abolished if this administration goes.

Freedom of expression, speech, movement and assembly which are still subject to other lesser laws in the system can only be guaranteed if we have a very active and fearless judiciary which will not shy away from correcting the executive and the legislature should they abuse their powers.

It will be a downward spiral from this point onwards as no further explanations as to the state of the nation's financial health is going to be believed by the masses any more. Oil prices have dropped but we have commodities and minerals and we have a large services and outsourcing sector, if we had been prudent and plugged the leakages made from our financial coffers by those whom we have placed our trust with, we would not be in a predicament like this.

We may feel angry and embarrassed if we are consistently compared with our tiny neighbour Singapore whom we chased out in 1965 because for a simple fact that they would not be cowed or bullied into submission by our firebrand nationalists who enjoyed and excelled in creating stories and engaging in provocation.

But the fact remains that they without any national resources or petroleum are wealthier than us and have reserves far greater than ours to brave through any tough economic period. They invested in their people and made sure that their system is run by those who can be trusted.

Corruption is something which isn’t tolerated and the perpetrators are quickly caught and brought to face the law for such behaviour. Can we ever come near such a scenario in our beloved nation?

We have no shame asking for that extra because everyone does it. We are paid to do a duty and have been given that responsibility but will only lift our heavy rear ends when there is something extra which is assured when the task is completed. Without this extra or extras thrown in, the lifting of the rear end becomes a gargantuan task!

We tell ourselves that since the big boys are doing it, why can’t we, the little beings at the bottom of the pile, also ask for a little more to get the job done!

The task of asking growing into a habit

Once the initial apprehensiveness is overcome, the task of asking becomes easier, it then grows into a habit and then into a culture and thereafter if you do not want any extras, you are seen as an impediment to the others who are enjoying this free flow of ‘side income’ which is hidden and hence not known to the taxman.

Ours has become a culture and those who assume public office are quick to see what kind of income such position which comes along with power can bring. Once they are comfortable, they quickly begin to learn the art of siphoning. When no questions are asked and the system of checks and balances can be compromised with the help of those who specialise in it, the task becomes very exciting.

All this is done with the help of those who linger on for the crumbs that will be left behind when the big crocodile slithers its way through after having a big chunk from the meat deposits in the central freezer.

Now we seem dumbfounded and ask ourselves how we have come to such a state and have not done anything about it? We lock up those who speak out for the people, we lock up those who write for the people to read and know, we create stories on those whom we find difficult to pin down, we find like minded professionals who are in plump positions to do our bidding and finally we sometimes hear of people disappearing all of a sudden.

It is now only a matter of time before the boiling effect finally pushes the lid off its position, once that happens the truth will be revealed. We as the people must rise to the occasion and mend this nation and not hide behind racial and religious demarcations which have kept us apart since colonial times.

P DEV ANAND PILLAI is a social observer with keen interest in history, law, politics and international relations concerning our country and one who believes that our multi-cultural fabric is our greatest strength.