As I celebrated Christmas and reflected on 2008, I can’t help but be drawn to the renewed hope and change for our nation, when the three major opposition parties comprising of PKR, DAP and PAS won 82 of the 222 parliamentary seats that was at stake during the March 8 General Elections. This was a major breakthrough considering the odds stacked against the opposition parties, where the three M’s of money, media and machinery of the Barisan Nasional (BN) were at full strength, thinking that the chosen date of March 8 would bring them prosperity, but it turned out to be an electoral disaster as they lost 5 states to Pakatan Rakyat.
Why it was considered a renewed hope and change for Malaysia, was not because BN lost 5 states, but it was because Malaysians woke up to the reality of greater democracy, transparency, public accountability and social justice (over and above race-based politics of BN). This is a giant step after 51 years of solid BN rule, where we can finally put to rest the ghost and trauma of May 13, 1969, which has often been abused by the ruling coalition as a scare tactic in every general election.
Christmas is a message of hope, peace and change for a better future. 2008 was indeed a celebration of hope and change. The denial of 2/3 majority was a blessing in disguise, despite Anwar’s failed attempt to take over the Federal Govt through cross-overs. However, the point was that the people have spoken loud and clear, that no one is indispensable, and that they should be reminded to serve the rakyat, especially the poor and marginalised, regardless of their race and status in society.
However, it is sad to note that 2008 has again been hounded by the politics of the 3R’s of race, religion and repression. The first R of racial politics has continued to rule the landscape, with UMNO championing the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, instead of Bangsa Malaysia, which has become alien to them. The second R is religion, where UMNO has continued to declare that Malaysia is an Islamic State, but not a secular state with Islam as the official religion of the land. The protest at the Bar Council premises in holding the Forum on Conversion to Islam is a case in point, where discussion on the legal aspects of such conversion continues to be heated and sensitive without regard to rationality and maturity in the interest of nation building and freedom of expression. UMNO leaders have chosen to stifle freedom of expression with regards to religious discourse in building national unity and mutual understanding by declaring that Malaysia is an Islamic State. The third R is repressive laws such as the ISA, the OSA, the Police Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Sedition Act which has continued to suppress legitimate dissent and such repressive laws has been abused by those in authority to selectively prosecute those considered to be a threat to BN’s interest, rather than in the interest of national security.
Malaysians must continue to strive for change in 2009, with renewed hope and vigour, lest we become complacent with the results of March 8th. Politicians from across the political divide should set aside their differences and work towards respect, reform and restoration in building a united Malaysia with a common vision of being a developed nation by 2020. To achieve this end, our political leaders should respect the rule of law and the Federal Constitution in protecting the rights and freedoms of all Malaysians. The Federal Govt should also respect human rights issues and not discard them and hide behind repressive laws to save their political skin.
The government must work towards reforming the judiciary and advancing its agenda by the setting up of an independent Judicial Appointments Commission that will involve all stakeholders in the justice system, and not those with vested interests. Real reform can only take place with an independent and impartial judiciary. This is the key organ of government, where judges of integrity will protect the ordinary man on the street against the excesses of government. The Courts are tasked with protecting the poor and the marginalised, even if it means incurring the wrath of the Federal Govt.
There should be restoration of trust of all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion by our political leaders. By restoring that trust, we can unite all Malaysians and rebuild the country based on the concept of Bangsa Malaysia. For example, the use of draconian measures in detaining HINDRAF leaders under the ISA only invokes distrust in the minds of the Indian community towards the government of the day. This is because the ISA is itself an act of aggression against citizens who are unarmed, especially to the group who consider themselves marginalised. Should we not hear them out and resolve their grievances in the spirit of democracy and Bangsa Malaysia?
If we can take the above in the right spirit of true reform, through respect for human rights and restoration of justice for the poor and marginalised, can we then really dream of hope and change in removing the negative influences of the politics of the 3R’s of race, religion and repression that has been abused by the ruling BN to safeguard their vested interest at the expense of national unity through Bangsa Malaysia.
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