Recently, I was invited to appear as a panelist on The Good Cast Show, where we discussed on a wide range of issues throughout the recording.
Among the topics discussed were the Rohingya issue in Malaysia, politics, education and several other current issues, including social tensions.
There were several questions that I found particularly difficult to answer, what lies behind the Rohingya issue, my views are on the matter, who should be held responsible, as well as how Malaysians understand current issues and how these issues can become intertwined with race and religion.
As I tried to put my thoughts into words, I realised that no matter how I structured my answers, they somehow always led back to one thing, politics.
Honestly, I am worried.
I can already imagine the chaos that could unfold in the future, and whatever happens will not affect politicians alone. It will affect all of us.
This concern becomes even greater when young people today are increasingly perceived as being uninterested in politics and current affairs.
Just focus on your career and yourself. Politics is a waste of time, or so they say.
I understand why some people feel this way. But I do not think we can afford to have that mindset.
Whether we like it or not, we have to pay attention to politics.
The representatives we elect are the people who make and shape policies. In other words, they have a direct influence on what happens to this country.
And who chooses them? We do.
That means we have a responsibility.
We need to be able to evaluate who deserves to represent us. Which party is genuinely fighting for the interests of the people? Which individuals are worthy of being elected? And ultimately, who is capable of leading the country as Prime Minister?
More importantly, we need to understand and evaluate government policies so that we can determine whether the policies being implemented are actually in line with the country's needs and whether they truly benefit the people.
We also need to learn how to criticise, question and reject proposals, whether they come from the government or the opposition, without abandoning civility and respect.
But how can we do any of this if we refuse to pay attention to what is happening in our country's politics?
Malaysia is a country made up of people from different races and religions. But that does not mean we cannot work together to build a harmonious and prosperous nation.
That is why we need to understand why it is important to stay informed about politics and current issues.
Understanding politics and being obsessed with political parties or leaders are two different things.
I was always taught that if you have nothing good to say, it is better to remain silent.
But that does not mean I should never express my views. What matters is how we express them.
I may disagree with someone, but that does not give me the right to make reckless accusations or spread defamatory claims. We can disagree and still speak to one another with respect.
Of course, I know there will always be people who deliberately provoke others, dragging issues into racial and religious sentiments simply to create anger and division.
And I want to stress that this is not something that only affects Malays and Muslims. It can happen across all communities.
For example, whenever I raise questions about the illegal houses of worship, without even referring to any particular religion, I can still receive comments filled with racial and religious sentiments from certain quarters.
When, in reality, the issue I raised was simply about the rule of law. But I will leave that particular topic for another time.
My main point is this, when we begin to see issues concerning the administration of our country, including politics, as something unimportant, that should worry us.
Young people may see politics as irrelevant today.
But what happens when their generation eventually becomes responsible for running this country?
They will inherit the institutions, the policies and the problems that we leave behind.
And to our politicians, enough is enough. Please stop fighting among yourselves.
Think about the people down here.
Many Malaysians are struggling with the realities of everyday life. The rising cost of living, housing, education, employment and countless other pressures are already weighing heavily on ordinary people.
As leaders and elected representatives, please listen to the voices of the people.
Please remember the trust that has been placed in you. And please fulfil the responsibility that comes with it.
Because at the end of the day, politics is not supposed to be about politicians.
It is supposed to be about us, the people.
Sincerely, a concerned Malaysian.
Azzman Mantoya (azzman.tvpertiwi@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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