This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on January 29, 2018 - February 4, 2018

With the election season upon us, political parties will soon be waving their manifestos before voters to show what a good deal they would miss if they cast their votes elsewhere.

As promises are meant to do, these electoral pledges feed the people’s hopes for a better future and so give them strength to endure their present lot.

At its core, the manifesto is an appeal to voters to put their faith in a political organisation’s values, governance and track record as the basis for entrusting its leaders with the power to fulfil their dreams.

So for voters to make discerning choices, they need to first have a sound idea of what they want their government to accomplish on their behalf.

But in their most tangible form, election promises appeal to the basic motivations that US psychologist Abraham Maslow identified in his well-known hierarchy of needs.

These include a decent income, accessible healthcare, quality education and affordable housing, among other things.

For the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, the opportunities for socio-economic mobility and the quality of public services that it has built up over six decades of development stand as a solid foundation for its continued re-election, or at least, they ought to be.

Yet the certainty of this electoral outcome has increasingly come into question, most dramatically over the last two general elections.

The stunning setback that the BN suffered in the 12th general election in 2008 — when the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969, and five state governments fell to the opposition — has marked a watershed in the nation’s history.

Then, in the 13th general election in 2013, another historic mark was notched up when the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition (now replaced by Pakatan Harapan) won 50.87% of the popular vote and 89 seats compared to 47.38% by the BN, for 133 seats in Parliament.

These successive election results show that the basics of development alone are not sufficient to retain voters’ loyalties.

For those who enjoy reasonably comfortable circumstances, these elementary attributes of a life of dignity and fulfilment would be a given.

Their concerns would extend to the social dimension, including wholesome spaces for family life, adequate entertainment and recreational facilities along with a safe and conducive living environment.

They would also include amenities like quality infrastructure, economic factors like a vibrant business climate and aspirational elements like opportunities for personal growth and career development.

In this sphere too, the BN government, because of the federal government’s control over development funding and almost all economic functions, can claim the credit for enabling the higher quality of life that middle Malaysia aspires to.

So, if Malaysians’ social needs and aspirational goals can be met, what else could make voters want a change?

In the next category of the electorate’s needs, good governance has a prominent place. While economic progress transforms the people’s lives, they learn to discern between appropriate development and wasteful expenditure, for example.

Questions about lopsided concessions that burden the people, including highway toll agreements that are beyond public scrutiny, have fuelled voter dissatisfaction, for instance.

Despite its generous education budget, for example, Malaysia lags behind its regional peers and most OECD countries in its PISA score for science and mathematics competence among secondary school students.

As such gaps between plans and outcomes add to the list of negative issues weighing on the BN government’s image, the nation has been increasingly distracted by a succession of divisive issues centring on racial and religious identity.

This has been especially in evidence following the 12th general election and its implications for the BN’s continued rule.

Therefore, an important impetus for the BN to retain support, particularly for its lynchpin party Umno, has been to rally its voter base around the twin issues of protection of Malay rights and the promotion of Islam as the religion of the federation.

Unfortunately for national cohesion, this emphasis on racial and religious identities has a tendency to create a divisive environment in society, fostering an “us versus them” mindset.

While it is common to hear the lament that Malaysian society is becoming increasingly polarised among ethnic and religious lines, it may be useful to bear in mind that there is a tendency for public sentiment to ebb and flow with the times.

When the public at large can see that a narrow, exclusive brand of nationalism and religious sentiment is hurting the social fabric, it is likely that a shift will occur towards a more wholesome and accommodative social discourse. History shows that human societies progress over time.

This provides an opportunity for political groups that are seeking to take the nation towards a pathway of progressive thinking to state their case in the coming election. Let their manifestos speak of this new future.

In connection with the role of election manifestos in helping voters to choose their leaders, another aspect of that transfer of power deserves attention.

This is the question of the voters’ responsibility to be examplary citizens by supporting their choice with a personal commitment to observe the norms of good governance in their own behaviour.

It is wishful thinking to expect elected representatives to run a clean administration, for instance, if voters themselves do not live by the same standards.

To give a small but telling example, does it make sense to demand rectitude in public office if we ourselves cannot obey simple traffic rules or blithely misuse public facilities? Or, for that matter, to exercise our right to vote?

Rash Behari Bhattacharjee is associate editor at The Edge

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