KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Members of the Malaysian Hindu community celebrating Deepavali today expressed hope that the 15th general election would bring a clean government that could arrest the country’s cost of living crisis and economic uncertainty.
Ahead of the festival, Malay Mail visited Little India in Brickfields here yesterday to poll members of the community about their feelings for GE15, where several said they were struggling to find political leaders whom they could trust.
Amid the colour and bustle of preparations for the festival lights, there was an air of exasperation with the country’s rising costs, which some felt those in the government were not adequately handling due to the political instability that has given Malaysia three prime ministers since 2018.
“Deepavali celebrations this year definitely aren’t the same as before, especially with the rise in prices of goods. For example, last year I bought four packets of murukku flour for RM20, this year for the same price I could only get three packets,” said 35-year-old R. Ravi when met in Little India.
“Imported mutton was RM36/kg before, now it’s RM46/kg, and local mutton, don’t even talk about that, it’s RM65/kg.”
Ravi pointed out the oddity of rising meat prices ahead of Deepavali, noting that the festival was one where Hindus would typically consume only vegetarian meals.
Yet even for vegetarians, there was no escaping the bite of rising prices.
“I used to be able to get a big cauliflower for RM3.60, now it’s RM9 and this is reflected in the prices in the restaurants as well. I paid RM16 for a place of rice with three types of vegetables,” he lamented.
“The economy is really bad, so there’s a lot that we need to think about this festive season, where we can save and what to spend on.”
With Malaysians heading to the ballot box on Nov 19, Ravi said he hoped to see a new government that would care for all of the country’s communities equally.
While Budget 2023 contained RM125 million in allocations specifically for the Indian community, Ravi said this did not appear adequate considering it would have to cater to the entire group across the whole country.
Sharmini Chandrakumar, the owner of an online business, said she hoped Malaysia would elect leaders who took climate change seriously.
Saying flash floods were becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in the country, said she would like to see government leaders who would address such issues as water security and flood mitigation with vigour.
Taking a break from the stall she set up to sell cakes in order to pay for her university fees, 20-year-old student Yugita Sri said she hoped to see more equality and fairness in the country, especially in terms of access to public education.
As among those eligible to vote for the first time in GE15 courtesy of the Undi18 movement, Sugita said she believed the country to have far greater potential that was being realised.
“I have always felt that if we were more united, we can be very, very strong as a nation,” said the counselling psychology student.
“When we fight each other over nothing, we are hindering our own progress and I would love to see more chances for other races to enter university.”
Others like C. Kumunthini echoed the sentiment, saying it was discouraging that Malaysia still has lopsided access to public education after having gone through so many administrations.
“What’s the point of getting good grades if you still cannot get accepted into local universities? This must change,” she said.
For the moment, however, she said she was simply savouring a normal Deepavali this year, after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the previous two.
Kumunthini said she was now at least able to celebrate with her husband, who had to remain in Singapore during the two previous Deepavali celebrations due to the strict restrictions.
A popular enclave with the Indian community from the city and surrounding suburbs, Brickfields was a hive of activity yesterday, with worse congestion than usual as people rushed to complete their preparations for Deepavali today.
Street vendors selling colourful sweets and spiced delights such as jalebi, kaseri, halwa, laddu, khir, gulab jamun, murukku and more did roaring trade, as crowds that had vanished during the pandemic returned in numbers.
While trade in the country has slowly recovered from the pandemic, some such as Agnes, a florist, said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as microbusinesses were not yet back to how they were before Covid-19.
At her stall decorated with the vibrant hues of the jasmine, sunflowers, marigold and palash she sold, she said life has been gloomy since the pandemic.
“I feel as though now we’re constantly worried about something, be it Covid or something else like a natural disaster,” she said, in between beaming smiles and a sunny disposition at customers.
“Good thing is this year Deepavali is joyous for me; things are slowly starting to get better and I want this upward trajectory to be maintained,” she told Malay Mail when asked about her hopes for the next government.
As for Chithra Adiyodi, she trotted off a host of her wishes for politicians competing in the general election.
“I would like to see gender equality emphasised, allowing Malaysian women the right to have their children declared as Malaysian citizens irrespective of their fathers’ nationality; financial assistance given on a needs-based measures rather than community-based; development of thinking teachers who will enhance the quality of education delivered in the classrooms and last but not least ‘stop cultivating a concrete jungle’,” she said when met.
The Election Commission has set November 5 for nomination and November 19 as polling day for the 15th general election.
