Responding to IDEAS Policy Paper No 69 – Social Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable Malaysians during COVID-19

First, IDEAS looked at a narrower scope focusing at poor and vulnerable communities among Malaysians. That means that they did not take a whole community approach which includes/covers the social protection and welfare of other vulnerable groups such as stateless persons, refugees, migrant workers, foreign spouses and family members. These are the people facing economic hardship, social discrimination and being excluded from social welfare/support. But we do know that we live in a community where we share the space, environment, market, facilities-- diseases that spread and plight of destitutes do not recognise citizenship. American political philosopher  John Rawls once said, how just a society is, judged by how the most vulnerable and marginalised groups being treated. Therefore, the government of the day should be reminded to carry the social responsibility looking after these probably equal if not more vulnerable groups.

Second, IDEAS should not take 'social protection' entirely to mean monetary aid policies/measures aiming at relieving and adjusting life for the unfortunate groups. Social protection and welfare should be more than that: Some kind of social protection and social support require inclusive policies, supportive laws and regulations, as well as the government effective responses on the ground catering to their basic needs:  health, housing, education, transport, safety. Social protection should include providing good working conditions, shelter (ie. worker's hostel), public transportation (eg. any discriminatory pricing aiming at foreigners is bad). Some people are more likely to get targeted/harraseed by the authority (ie. police and immigration officers) than others, based on racial profiling, this is also bad. Thus, social protection programmes addressing to basic needs of residents in this country is a kind of social justice that the society should support,living up the true spirit of #kitajagakita

Nevertheless, IDEAS' report is a rather extensive one detailing about the government's current structure of various social aid/ social protection programmes and pointed out the gaps/limitations with the system in their narrow scope of studies. Some of their analyses are still spot on. -- though they want an integrated info welfare registration system could be quite complicated issue (though Govt's BSH system is improving), Kok Boon probably knows the obstables in greater details.

My take is that, the government if they sincerely want to cover disadvantaged people such as Orang Asli communities, they should go to them instead putting up excuses that why they dont want to come register with the authority, why they dont have bank account....all these show that the authority's mentality thnking from their own position without considering the real life difficulties/obstacles faced by such communities. Many may not even be aware of the govt welfare/social protection policies!