Commenting on a recent observation by a think tank that many people seek their MPs for welfare support, a dependency which it linked to corruption, he said changing such a mindset would take time.
He said in the meantime, MPs should practise financial planning, accountability and transparency.
“It’s not so simple to change cultural expectations of people overnight,” Wong told FMT.
“It will take one generation of education. Also, it will take great economic growth, better wages and a major reduction on inequality.”
He added that so long as the majority of Malaysians are poor or struggling, they will continue — rightly or wrongly — to expect politicians to help them financially.
Wong said he spent around RM100,000 of his communty allocations on welfare support for 450 families in a year. He had to cut out all spending on hampers or festivities to allow him to do that.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive officer Wan Saiful Wan Jan recently said dependency on politicians had placed them in a complicated situation that might even be a contributing factor for corruption.
Speaking at an anti-corruption forum, Wan Saiful said this mindset, to expect help from MPs and assemblymen, needed to be changed in order for corruption to be eradicated.
He said some politicians might not plan to indulge in corrupt practices, but due to financial demands from their constituents, they might see a need to find other avenues of raising money.
The statement came as Malaysia slipped on the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), dropping a point to come out 49th out of 100 countries.
Malaysia scored 50 points in 2015. Last year’s result placed the country way behind other Asean countries such as Brunei (58) and Singapore (84).
PKR Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh agreed with Wan Saiful when he talked about the role of politicians as legislators and policy makers rather than that of welfare officers.
He said it was an uphill battle to educate the public and also to ensure people get their rights as well as to be their voice.
“The mindset was developed over time. The public does not understand the different roles of legislators at the different levels in government.”
She said as leaders, they have a responsibility to educate and serve the public. “I put it upon myself to show them the way.”
Sungai Besar MP Budiman Mohd Zohdi, who also serves as Sungai Panjang assemblyman, said being a welfare officer cannot be disassociated from being a politician.
He said a politician has three roles to play — as a welfare officer; studying issues affecting the community and suggesting changes to laws in Parliament and the state assembly.
A politician also acts as a mediator between the people and government agencies whenever problems arise, he added.
“Being a welfare officer does not necessarily mean giving monetary aid. But it means we will provide aid for the individual in need of it.”
He said corruption only exists when there’s the opportunity.
“It’s all about values. Don’t let the opportunity exist.”