Covid-19 has shifted the entire world so dramatically that life will never return to what it was. Post Covid-19, Malaysia will also experience a new normal.

Digitalisation

Most tech analysts agree that a digital lifestyle will be the new normal in 2030. However, Covid-19 has accelerated digitalisation by 10 years. In the past weeks, Malaysian have opted for e-billing and digital services ranging from water bill payment to grocery shopping.

Several property developers and automotive showrooms have started online showrooms. There is a great deal of pressure for more brick and mortar services and government services to go online. The showrooms are far from perfect, but society has overcome the usual inertia preventing the transition to online services.

Racism put to Check

The February political crisis has increased racist sentiment in Malaysia. However, the Covid-19 crisis saw people self-organising to collect and deliver food to vulnerable groups including undocumented migrants. Humanity is viewing Covid-19 as a common enemy, and so differences between us, racial differences in particular, are being put aside.

Bye bye, FDI

Malaysia has relied extensively on foreign capital for 50 years to develop our civilian industrial complex. Free trade agreements enacted zero tariff policies which shifted production of essential goods from First World Nations to Asia. Today, the rich nations were struggling for essential items like rubber gloves, face masks, PPE suits etc.

Henceforth, countries will work towards developing their internal capacity by courting industries back. There will be sharp decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide and Malaysia will take a serious hit. Malaysia needs the ditch the “FDI mindset”, accelerate capacity, and promote the expansion of the civilian industrial complex to create new jobs.

Rise of Socialist Policies

The nations that are winning the Covid-19 war are the ones with some form of socialist policies, like free healthcare, food security and volunteer’s corps etc. Malaysians will be more protective of existing socialist policies such as farmers protection, public healthcare, front liner wages, public research centres etc. There will more demand for an empowered welfare state and all kinds of socialist policies.

Written by

SHARAN RAJ

Central Commitee

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

&

State Chairperson

Parti Sosialis Malaysia Negeri Melaka (PSM Melaka)