These four English words are usually reserved for break-ups and heart-to-hearts with the significant other. But they can also be said to our country’s leadership.

There was a lot of progress and surprises this year. On the technology side, the explosion of data caused a furore among academicians, technocrats and businessmen, with many scrambling to capitalise on big data and the Internet of Things.

In business, the year-long battle with Grab and Uber has finally come to a possible resolution. Consumer choice won over an old and tired monopoly and even taxi drivers have ended up becoming Uber/Grab drivers themselves.

In politics, the year has been a crazy one. The Brexit referendum will go down in history as one of the biggest upsets in the UK. When the Brexiters won, everyone, including pro-Brexiters, were left gobsmacked. Its main mouthpiece and chief instigator Nigel Farage had nothing much to say except “in your face Europe” at the European Parliament and “it’s not my problem, I want my life back” in the UK Parliament before signing off as the leader of UK Independence Party.

Then the US presidential election sent another seismic shock across the globe. Donald Trump, the man whom pundits ignored and the media crucified, emerged the winner.

In the East, we saw other unexpected events such as South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s horrific war — including extrajudicial killings — on drugs.

With the global economic slowdown, many people lost their jobs while others are facing poor career or business prospects. But significantly, what can be seen from Brexit, Trump and Duterte is that people around the world are rejecting the establishment and its politics and be damned about the consequences of their support.

The seeds of distrust had been sown many years ago. The EU kept repeating its mantra of economic prosperity through integration even as Greece, Portugal and Spain almost brought it to its knees. Hillary Clinton claimed that Americans were “stronger together” in an increasingly fractious and disillusioned America. And in the Philippines and South Korea, the masses were sickened by grand corruption, rising crime rates and growing social problems under the leadership of old political dynasties.

The establishment once set up by the people and for the people had lost touch with the people in the clouds of bureaucracy and polished rhetoric. People no longer believed in the system and as one Trump supporter from New York told The Washington Post, “the media did the US a huge disservice in covering this campaign. As I watched, I got the impression that voting was a mere formality. My vote [for Trump] was my only way to say ‘I am here and I count’”.

At home, we are seeing similar trends of discontent, which are met with little consideration by our political leaders. The recent Umno General Assembly has again raised clamours for Malay hegemony amid calls for national unity. The Kelantan government has closed its ears to the Orang Asli’s cries over their ancestral homes. And the DAP and MCA are going at it again about each other’s internal affairs.

Their representatives seem too caught up in their political games. Neither side is listening to the rakyat, whom they are supposed to serve. Just look at the political rallies. The politicians talk on stage above ordinary folk with hardly any time given to the latter to speak except to ask questions. “You can ask,” they say. “But you will just have to accept our answers.”

It is no wonder that according to a Merdeka Center survey, more than 66% of the population feel powerless in bringing about change in Malaysia. Worse still, there are no political referendums or mandated town hall meetings for the people to voice their concerns. In fact, attempts at speaking out have been actively silenced. Take a look at how we rank in the latest Freedom of Thought Report published by the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Malaysia scored 4.5 with 5 being the worst possible score.

But in a Malaysia where the economy is not doing well and the people are more educated and politically savvy, one wonders how much longer this can continue. We have real problems at the moment. Our best and brightest are leaving, our young cannot find jobs and the majority of us are really feeling the pinch with the rising cost of living eating away at our savings.

So, how much longer can we go on without having an honest and open dialogue as a nation? How much longer can we ignore our problems?

I only need four words to answer this — we need to talk.

Shaza Scherazade Alauddin Onn is a senior executive in communications, external relations, at IDEAS

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