Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 7, 2017 - August 13, 2017

As the war drums of the 14th general election grow louder by the day, the question of electoral choices is surfacing more frequently in the public space.

While most analysts express confidence that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will win the election, which must be held by August next year, a recent survey by the PKR-linked Invoke group says support among the dominant bumiputera population for both BN and the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalitions is almost even, putting the challengers within striking distance of capturing power.

Given that BN had lost the popular vote in the 13th general election, securing just 46.5% of the ballot, a key question is whether it has succeeded in winning over enough fence sitters by now to clinch the coming electoral showdown.

The jury is still out on that question.

However, it must be noted that the absolute number of votes is just one among a range of factors that determines which group will form the government.

In Malaysia, issues concerning the separation of powers that give the incumbents a significant advantage over their challengers cannot be ignored in any assessment of electoral outcomes.

Interestingly, the Invoke survey shows that bread-and-butter issues were five times as important to voters as the state of governance, as reflected in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) debacle and other troubles in the administration.

At any rate, it is worth keeping in mind that the country’s continued progress and prosperity is not assured merely by making a one-off choice at the ballot.

Rather, the work of securing the nation’s future rests on our daily decisions about the things that matter.

These issues need to be aired from time to time to allow the thoughts and feelings about our challenges as a nation to breathe freely and so allow us to move forward.

At the root of our nationhood, there is the unfinished business of evolving a national consciousness that is grounded in the Malay identity, but that embraces not only the ethnic diversity of Sarawak and Sabah, but also incorporates the Chinese, Indian and sub-ethnic minorities.

Over five decades after Malaysia’s formation, this remains a work in progress because of a deep disconnect between the fraternal spirit of our founding fathers and the instinctive impulse of each political group to maintain control over its power base.

Admittedly, the process of melding a diverse populace separated by race, religion, culture and temperament into one that shares a sense of common national identity is a long drawn one, with the likelihood of missteps occurring at every turn.

For instance, it is important to remember that while the rise of Malay nationalism was a central development in the Independence movement, the Malay nationalists were forced to concede citizenship rights to the immigrant Chinese and Indian communities in order to gain political control from the British colonial government.

This tactical bargain that enabled the negotiations for Independence to avoid a deadlock over Malay special rights nevertheless left an emotional attachment to that idea, which continues to loom large over national life to this day.

In the meantime, a sea change has taken place in the political, economic, cultural and social dimensions of Malaysian society that makes the nation, which was born in 1957, unrecognisable in many ways today.

Among other things, the global economy has become distinctly borderless in recent decades, creating an environment where it is not only business that is increasingly transnational in nature, but almost everything else, from education to leisure to community and more.

In this environment, where enterprise and innovation have become a daily transborder adventure, it is pertinent to ask what place remains for defining oneself in terms of ethnic identity and cultural norms, except largely in one’s personal space.

So, it appears to be increasingly clear that political platforms based on race, religion and cultural identity are ripe for a radical reevaluation.

To take another aspect of modern life, the role of political representation in ensuring the delivery of urban services and amenities is also under-going a transformation as property developers are creating integrated facilities where residents not only live, work, shop and enjoy their leisure in a privately-managed environment, but are mostly independent of the public services that were a virtual monopoly of the state until recently.

Governments that want to attract the talent and capital that thrive in such environments need to reorientate themselves to the norms and values that inform these communities.

Typically, such communities are built on openness, a tolerance for diversity, personal freedoms and respect for universal rights and values.

It is evident that the nation’s future growth will be driven by a workforce that is in tune with the mindsets of this global, progressive and inclusive talent pool.

To appeal to this generation of know-ledge workers, political groups and government agencies must adapt to new ways of thinking.

For example, the banning of publications that are deemed to fall outside of a prescribed notion of religious thought would be weighted negatively by talents seeking an open society to work and live in.

So too would actions against minority groups that are seen as discriminatory and oppressive be a red flag for those who value acceptance and understanding as core human qualities.

To benefit from the fresh perspectives of this millennial generation, we must learn to leave behind yesterday’s politics.


R B Bhattacharjee is associate editor at The Edge Malaysia

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