Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 11, 2019 - March 17, 2019

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. — Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States (1743-1826)

We are two months away from the anniversary of the unforgettable May 9 general election of 2018 that saw the landscape of Malaysian politics change forever. It was as decisive as it was surprising. People power went on display for the world to see. And what a sight it was!

When the winners stood in the glare of television lights to proclaim victory just before dawn the next day, the elation across the land was palpable. All the efforts of the campaigners for a clean election, the throng of voters gleefully parading their inked fingers and the many postal votes from Malaysians living abroad that got sent by volunteers arriving from New York, London, Sydney and other world capitals made sure a momentous change came our way. Hopes for a new Malaysia were born that morning.

The sense of pride and satisfaction that came from participating in a mission impossible that became an astounding reality was amazing. Here was our nation, reborn after 61 years, ready to finally be cloaked in garments of decency, justice and fairness to all. As a nation under God, we bowed our heads, looked to the heavens and prayed; we crossed our fingers, burnt incense in the temples and wished for the Divine to guide our newly elected leaders with wisdom and compassion. We wanted a just Malaysia that would provide a better tomorrow for all. Oh, what high hopes we had.

Ten months on, and not helped by six by-elections (and with the seventh coming in Rantau on April 13), we are distracted by too much politicking. But we are still waiting for the hopes to be fulfilled. We created history last May by electing the oldest prime minister in the world. We supported his choice of senior ministerial positions and we gave the winning bloc free rein to form a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We gave them an opportunity to provide us with change.

There have been positive changes that have made the world look at Malaysia anew. Kleptocracy and corruption are hardly used anymore when discussing our affairs. Foreign governments are happy to do business with us: the announcements of Samurai and Panda bonds coming our way are proof positive that we have turned the corner, reputation-wise. International rating agencies, although cautious, are impressed with the progress we have made. With Brexit looming, even Britain is courting us as a friend. We have managed to reposition Malaysia as a viable investment destination. Heck, we are even looking at a non-too-shabby 4.8% year-on-year economic growth despite global uncertainties.

The rakyat too found that the new government allows them to express their views without fear. But this new-found freedom is a delicate matter and must be handled responsibly in view of the increasing number of hate speeches and slanderous comments, particularly on race and religion, and the adverse impact of fake news and disinformation in the digital space.

But something tells us a lot more needs to be done. While 4.8% GDP growth for 2019 is commendable, the plight of the ordinary working Malaysian must be addressed fast. The prices of basic essentials continue to rise and jobs are not being created fast enough for breadwinners, especially in the hinterland. It is not just the rising cost of living that is the bane here but opportunities must be found for our hardworking population to earn a decent living.

Free enterprise is necessary for any nation to progress. Focus on creating that environment, please. The days of the “rent collector” are over. Any nation that does not provide a hospitable working environment for its entrepreneurs and salary earners will find its growth stunted, its people languishing in a stagnant economy.

There is no more need to continually look at the rear mirror as you steer the nation forward. The windscreen is what you should be looking out of. We want well-thought-out plans for the future. We have little interest in who to blame for our present malaise. Trust our judicial system to deal with them. Point: Do not waste time placing blame. Fix the cause!

Any leader worth his shiny wingtips must have realised by now that the honeymoon period is over. Some 300 days have passed since that momentous night. Buoyed by high expectations after the victory, our people are looking for tangible results, and in our extremely connected lightning-speed world, they cannot come soon enough.

While we are aware that the challenges of repairing a badly mangled political and economic system are formidable, we are less forgiving of the sometimes nonsensical pronouncements that emanate from the corridors of power. The thought of our newly elected officials spending time looking at trite and trivial matters saddens us. Step up to the plate, please, and swing that bat for a home run. You know we deserve it.

Bill Clinton, when running for the 42nd presidency of the United States, got it right when a banner in his campaign headquarters said, “It’s the economy, stupid!” Similarly, we should be focusing on the economic welfare of our people.

We get it that as an open trading nation, we will face external headwinds from the ongoing US-China trade war, geopolitical concerns in the Middle East, global monetary tightening and swings in oil prices. These, we cannot control. But we can control domestic demand and spending. And we can create policies that will encourage private-sector spending and investment. We need them.

We are aware that domestic demand supports the country’s real GDP growth. We are also aware that public-sector spending will be lower in the near future in line with the government’s efforts to rationalise and optimise expenditure. All we ask is to have these efforts communicated to us so that we may have a better understanding of how the lay Malaysian can assist in reshaping our common destiny. We understand the yoke of responsibility can be heavy on inexperienced shoulders. We want to share that burden collectively.

A friend once reminded me that all of life is a series of choices and what we choose to give life today will determine what life will give us tomorrow. We chose an opportunity to shape a better nation on that historic night in May last year. Let us bring that opportunity to life. There is no better time than now.

We can choose to go to the gym today and when we do, we choose to be healthier tomorrow; we can choose to light a cigarette today but when we do, we choose to die 14 minutes early (at least, that was what my right-living medical doctor told me). The list is endless but the message is the same: We have choices and the choice we make today will determine what we will have, be and do in the tomorrow of our life. Do not squander this moment.


Zakie Shariff is managing partner of Kuber Venture Bhd, a specialist investment company. He is also a director of Universiti Malaysia Pahang.

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