Kuala Besut and oil royalty

Dr Rosli Khan,

Political campaign is a strange subject. What seems straightforward to some can be made complicated by others. If I were a voter in Kuala Besut, my choice as to who I should vote for, is rather obvious and simple. Having said that, there must be some basis on my decision making process.

I would start by examining my own economic position, what job I am doing, how much do I earn per month and how does my income level compares to the Terengganu state average and eventually Malaysia’s national average. This is a very simple approach and does not require any deep analysis.

If I work as a fisherman and my average income is RM1000 per month that is considered good. But if Terengganu state average is RM3000 per month then what I earn is only a third of the state average. So I am considered as way below average as many fishermen in Terengganu (and Kelantan) are in the same boat.

How does it compare to Malaysia’s national average income level? The average monthly income of the people in Terengganu is only 60% of the national average. And when I compared mine to the national average of RM5000 then I can easily categorise myself as being poor as my income is merely 20% of the national average.

There is a continuous debate in Malaysia as to what constitutes a poverty line, or an income level that is used to group poor people together. To my mind, if my income represents only 20% of the national average then I must be considered poor. With RM1000 a month, I cannot afford basic necessities; I live in an old wooden house, sparsely furnished and do not have many electrical appliances let alone computer and internet access. Don’t talk about smart phones or Ipads as their prices are beyond my reach or income level. I am not part of that new emerging market!

Now what about the rest of the households in Kuala Besut? How much each of them earns per month? My estimate is not much. I know many of them earn a lot less than RM1000 per month. And what about housewives or single females who do not earn any income at all and are solely dependent on their husbands or fathers to support them? Are they not considered as living in absolute poverty?

And yet the state of Terengganu is considered rich; an oil and gas producing state. What has gone wrong? Or where did we go wrong?
It does not take a genius to work out that if your income is way below the national average, or in this case, represents only 20% or less of the national average, then, you are considered poor. But you will only know this if you are given the figures for comparison. Without the figures, as illustrated above, you will not know where you stand economically. The people of Kuala Besut have not been briefed with these sorts of statistics. The stark realities are not bared in front of their eyes.

This is the sad part as many people also failed to realize that the very reason that makes them poor and continue to remain so, is the political systems that govern them of which they are actually a party to. Politics can be cruel, too, and so are politicians.

How many people from Kuala Besut are currently employed in offshore Terengganu Oil and Gas sector? Can Terengganu State Government provide the statistics?

Participation in an economic sector or getting employed in such an industry is one way of increasing one’s income, thus escaping the poverty trap. But you need the right skills and education. It is obvious that over the years, since oil and gas were discovered in Terengganu, the state did not provide these required skills and education for its people. Without the state intervention, the people of Terengganu cannot possibly progress and participate in the lucrative oil and gas sectors.

People like me, and many others, will remain fishermen forever. It’s a hard life and yet we still have to eke out a living. Politicians come and go, and we are still here without any skills or opportunities to make a better living. What makes it sadder is when our children are left with no options but to follow our footsteps. Otherwise, they have to migrate to urban areas like KL or Singapore for better job opportunities.

Kuala Besut has obviously been neglected. Not just now but for a very long time. These households of fishermen and farmers are far removed from the mainstream economic activities and have stayed out of focus.
Urbanisation and all the facilities that come with it have not made it to Kuala Besut shores. Thus, the entire landscape remained poor and unsophisticated despite some token investments that went to the islands nearby.

If not because of this by-election many of the national leaders would not have descended and stepped their foot in Kuala Besut. The voters of Kuala Besut must have noticed this strange phenomenon.  

So I hope I have made it slightly easier for them to decide and vote this time around. The conclusion is, if your income is below the national average then you have no reason to vote for a sitting government. That’s simple and straightforward.

Source harakahdaily