An old friend of Carissa’s recently visited Malaysia for the first time. When asked about his biggest impression of Malaysia, without any hesitation he responded: “The disappearing sidewalks.” In fairness, he did find many other parts of Malaysia fascinating — he was deeply appreciative of the diverse culture, and curious enough to try lots of new food (although he had a weak stomach and was taken out by a bowl of duck kway chap).
Carissa’s friend’s response reminded her about the countless times she had been left befuddled when a sidewalk abruptly ends during her runs along the River of Life. Coincidentally, the release of the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report has thrust the River of Life Project and the provision of other public goods under much scrutiny.
This led to a reflection by both co-writers of this article on a sample of public goods currently provided in Malaysia: Sirim product certification and inspections, weather forecasts and regional maritime security (jointly provided with our Asean neighbours). Inevitably, our discussion led to the question: as our nation pursues development on all fronts, what “alternative” or “indie” public goods could be provided to further enhance quality of life?
This theme of “indie” public goods is an extension of Nick’s previous articles in this newspaper which covered “Indie” Development Indicators. But before diving into what those public goods may be, it is worth describing what exactly “public goods” are. In economics, public goods are defined as goods that are non-rivalrous and non-excludable. In more layman’s terms, these are goods where use by one person does not reduce availability to others (non-rivalrous), nor does it prevent access by other people (non-excludable).
As an example, if one listens to a broadcast on public radio, it does not stop someone else from listening to that same broadcast (versus, say, listening to music on one’s own phone). Similarly, a public lighthouse is non-excludable because it isn’t really possible to prevent ships from seeing its light. Given these goods being non-commercial, they are typically provided by public financing — think of things like traffic lights, national defence, street lighting and so on.
And so, here is a list of eight (completely arbitrary number) “indie” public goods that we think would make Malaysia — or in some cases, at least our immediate neighbourhoods — a better place to live for all. In no particular order, here goes:
First, while there is an increasing awareness of the importance of data and how it can inform policymaking (think Padu or the data.gov.my portal), the reality is that so much of the “good stuff” in government data is still not published. By this, I am referring to the various censuses and surveys that the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) undertakes. At present, this data is only shared at an aggregated level, and only whatever DOSM decides is publicly shareable. Given that taxpayer money is used to fund these censuses and surveys, for the sake of policymaking or even just general information, we should make the micro-data available to all, albeit sufficiently anonymised, of course. This may help elevate policymaking (assuming policymakers care about data) and maybe even conversations on national issues.
Second, and this is perhaps a less “indie” one, but we (as nerds) love public libraries. Nick is a huge fan of the Taman Tun Dr Ismail public library and is an extremely satisfied (regular) visitor of the library. Meanwhile, Carissa has been a beneficiary of public libraries — they made scholarship applications and the opportunity to further her studies accessible. More inclusive common spaces where people can study, work, play in a safe environment are important as well for fostering a greater sense of community. It is also helpful to have a “one-stop” community centre where folks can access multiple shared technical services (a computer lab, reference materials and so on).
Third, an extension to the second point, a twist to public libraries by having them double as community archives. The idea is to equip local groups with tools and resources to preserve their stories and heritage for generations to come.
Fourth, if there is one thing to unite Malaysians, it’s food. This brings us to the idea of developing a National Heritage Cookbook. The process of developing it may go against the spirit of being non-rivalrous, but picture this — knockout tournaments at the state level, where each state submits its top five dishes for inclusion in the National Heritage Cookbook. Yes, this will likely spark a war on which is the original ayam gepuk recipe, or should nasi lemak in its purest form include fried chicken and other add-ons? Ultimately, the cookbook can serve as a tool in culinary diplomacy, creating fanfare over national dishes and inviting the public to participate in the process. Plus, better commemorate these recipes at a national level before a particular neighbour claims them.
Fifth, a pretty contentious issue in innovation is intellectual property rights. On the one hand, having those rights encourages innovation as individuals or companies get to capture the value that they create from their work. But on the other, for the kinds of goods which we know have large public benefits (think of vaccines!), protecting it from the public domain for the sake of profit can be harmful. Perhaps we need a policy where innovations that receive direct or indirect support from public funds need to have a “Public Good” clause which allows the government to “open source” the intellectual property in times of crisis. A form of grant-to-debt convertible instrument can also be used by governments to fund research and development.
Sixth, Nick has written before in this newspaper on the importance of dark skies. That the world is now more lit up than ever is naturally a sign of progress, but we should also be aware of what we may lose. Since the very first humans, the night sky has been an important part of our human heritage, providing not just navigation, a sense of seasonal change, but also things like curiosity and awe. There are no dark sky preserves in Southeast Asia (in part because of the humidity and cloud cover), but what if we could designate a space in Malaysia — perhaps in Borneo — as a dark sky reserve?
Seventh, as Carissa’s friend mentioned, and as Carissa herself feels following her runs along the River of Life, contiguous sidewalks — emphasis on contiguous — would also be very welcome. The first and last mile problem has resulted myriad “disruptive business models” and “innovative solutions” attempting to solve it. But maybe, just maybe, your good old sidewalks can be the panacea to the problem.
Eighth, a corollary to number seven, water fountains placed at strategic locations along the contiguous sidewalks. We know how hot it gets in Malaysia; you are bound to get thirsty when you are out and about. In all seriousness, the provision of this public good would be a useful exercise to review the state of our water infrastructure and bring us closer to closing Malaysia’s water loop. With increasing population growth, rapid reindustrialisation, growing agricultural needs, and the added strain from mushrooming data centres in certain areas, our water systems are under high levels of stress. This exercise could also tackle the costly problem of non-revenue water leakage and improve public health by increasing accessibility to safe drinking water.
But in the spirit of taking one step at a time, Carissa would be happiest with the seventh, and Nick would be happiest with the first. Baby steps.
This article was co-written with Carissa Livan Ding.