Feel Good Factor

By Amde Sidik

Of course, I am proud that my fellow citizen has made Malaysia a revelation to the rest of the world. A small third world country dying to be upgraded into a developed and industrialised nation by the year 2020. It means we are bypassing the second stage (the second world) status in good time. Wonder if this exists at all (?) It is no ordinary third world indeed. Malaysia has world’s astronaut now equivalent to first world’s achievement in space science (i.e., if you want to call it that way). However, this does not mean we cannot be critical to what our government is doing. If the country can produce astronaut, it can also produce other disciplines. All have the same right to contribute even if it means criticizing the masters. We need serious critical analysis by critical mind. Most importantly, we do not have to be UMNO members! So is to be patriotic.

Many cynics feel our achievement in space is still a bit superficial. It is only wise to evaluate once the dust has settled rather than rushing to send another one. We had this feeling before, among them were, we launched Proton car, we launched grandiose KLI Airport, we launched Petronas Twin Towers, and so too we launched Bakun project (I need not talk about them here). The truth is we are still floating in the mid air. This is why I am sceptical about this ‘feel good factor’. The nett affect is later. Say for example, how competitive we are in motor cars industry. Assuming had we the idea at that time of the current economic situation, would we still want to embark in motor cars industry? Alternatively, may be it is cheaper and more cost effective to do just like what some countries are doing, assembling foreign cars. No Lah! We want name, Malaysia Boleh!

This artificial, ‘Feel good factor’ can never be permanent and can never be as good as real. I mean real good is actual not made out or play act.

What is it I am hinting at here?

Well, I look at it this way; the whole nation has been glamorising the so called the success of nation's angkasawan mission. Hard to ignore when the whole government machineries are up beat. Do not blame the enthusiasm no matter how temporary it is.

My questioning (I am not alone) is not just for the sake of questioning. I am sure scientists are familiar with asking question (the art of finding out). Asking question is one of the ways of seeking knowledge. Sometimes it takes hell long time to get the answer, sometimes one gets wrong answers and some times one never gets the answer at all. That is normal.

Is it worthwhile spending that colossal amount of money going to space at this point of time? I am talking about weighing up the costs and benefits against the background of our country's economic outlook, because at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, we still have to see our balance sheet. For example, the country's petrol and gas productivity are running thin, a mere ten years or less to go. That is not the only sector, many more are not as rosy as what we would like to imagine. Foreign Direct Investment is reducing in numbers because elsewhere is more economically conducive.

Some snippets as to why this angkasawan project materialised at this time. First, it was by product of trade off between Malaysia and Russia. Malaysian government is buying fighter jets and other related hard wares, colossal amount $3.4 billion. Why do we need fighter jets for? I would not have enough space to elaborate here, and my answers could be different from many of you depending on accessibility to the sources.

Ah! Some may say, poor person like me would never agree to anything! That is exactly what I have said at the beginning, the fact is to come up with this argument I still have to spend time and energy to do sort of research, otherwise my reason would be of no different than the mainstream media.

Let digest a bit, I question the merit of the project, if it jeopardises the welfare of our people. I short; decision makers-political leaders must be responsible to their voters for their action or inaction. We cannot be continuously indoctrinated with the feel good all the time.
This mammoth project financed by people via various means including taxes, levies and other deductibles. Surely, people want to know whether their contributions to the country are justifiably utilised for public good. On other hand, there is talk about, and about everywhere that some small privileged groups earned commission via shoddy if not shrewdly dealings. Connected to it was even involving murder whose trail is still in the hand of the court of justice. Viewing it this way, and coupled with rhetoric, some of us are less keen to join the chorus. I would not blame Dr Muszaphar and others; I congratulate them for being as they are, they are lucky happened to be at the doorway at the right time and at the right place.