We are just days away from the ‘big day’, 19 November 2022, when Malaysian voters will decide who we want as our representatives in Parliament. To quote John Lewis, “The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.”
However, there are still many people who question the efficacy of voting in the coming general elections. How do we pull ourselves out of this political quagmire when there seems to be a pervading atmosphere of "electile dysfunction", where many Malaysians are not aroused by any political candidate, political party or election manifesto? How can we overcome the sense of political hopelessness and impotence many Malaysians feel today? How do we end the disillusionment with the electoral process? How do we arrest the political fatigue and predicted drop in voter turnout in the coming general elections?
It pains me that our beloved country has already been labeled a kleptocracy, due mostly to the misdeeds of a convicted former prime minister who continues to plead innocence and play victim! To echo the sentiments of the honourable Opposition Member of Parliament Lim Kit Siang, do we wait until we spiral further down into a kakistocracy?
While it is understandable that we feel angry and disappointed with the present political scenario, withdrawing from politics and boycotting the elections will not make things better. Even spoiling our vote to register our protest, as was espoused in the last general elections by the Undi Rosak campaigners, is in my view, both dangerous and ill-conceived. However slow and disappointing the process is, we cannot bring about change if we withdraw from the process and the many avenues available today to bring about change, ranging from casting the vote as an individual citizen during the general elections once every 5 years, to joining millions of Malaysians for a peaceful street protest, that being our legitimate right as well.
We need to acknowledge that democracies are imperfect but, "There are no perfect structures or perfect people. There is only the struggle to get there.” Much as we associate democracy with the will of the majority, the true test of a democracy is in how it protects and respects the rights of its minorities and vulnerable groups within society. Democracy is also the power to reject those we do not want.
Over the last few years of shifting alliances and fragile coalitions with razor-thin majorities, we need to ask if ‘majority rule’ is possible or even desirable within a heterogeneous and diverse society. Coalition-building and the politics of accommodation is neither novel nor unique to Malaysia; we have seen it since the early years of our nationhood, where political groups on both sides of the divide joined hands in ‘marriages of convenience’ when it was strategic in furthering their political objectives, and then broke up and went their separate ways later, when political conditions and priorities changed.
Is it high time we move away from adversarial politics and attempt to forge a form of consensual democracy anchored by fundamental rights, accountability and competence? This would require some major reforms in key institutions of governance to ensure checks and balances, transparency and accountability. In my view, a prerequisite for that to happen is some form of mutual trust and acceptance among the main political actors.
It is encouraging to see some of these much-needed reforms achieved through the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last year between the Federal Government and Pakatan Harapan. Though the MOU has been mocked and criticized by many, it has resulted in the much-awaited Anti-Party Hopping Bill to finally see the light of day and passed in the Lower House on 28th July 2022 – a truly historic day for parliamentary democracy in Malaysia. There is also the “Caucus for Multi-Party Democracy” and other parliamentary reforms in the pipeline.
Alas, institutional reforms by themselves will not work if we do not have reform-minded, ethical people within the system. We need political leaders who prioritize the well-being of ordinary citizens, who are able to identify the root causes of the malaise our country suffers from and who can put in place the systemic and structural changes required to lift our country out of the depressing state that we are in now. We need to reclaim our beloved motherland from the clutches of kleptocrats, racists and religious bigots. We must reject politicians who have pulled the wool over our eyes for years on end, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, who have betrayed our trust and corrupted our nation with their money politics and “cash is king” mantra, however they spin it.
We have certainly come a long way from the early years of authoritarian rule imposed after the 1969 political thuggery, when the culture of fear was palpable as the powers that be wielded the Internal Security Act and Sedition Act freely. Malaysians are losing the fear of fear, I believe, and have become bolder and even creative in exercising their right to express their views on a range of issues that are the consequence of ineffective and simply bad public policies.
While there is no shortage of people out there sowing seeds of despair, peddling doom and gloom, as if we are hurtling towards dystopia, Malaysians must endeavor to shine our brightest light. We need to channel our outrage and righteous indignation into more constructive avenues. We must not allow ourselves to be manipulated and controlled by anyone who does not respect our basic rights as citizens of Malaysia; we must liberate and decolonize our minds. We must work together to liberate our beloved country from all that’s wrong - we must fix this electile dysfunction and transform our nation now!
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