Malaysia is now at a stage where it is becoming increasingly clear that we need an innovative solution. Where once upon a time radical ideas for altering our nation’s sociopolitical future were considered hard to imagine, they are now becoming increasingly mainstream.
Dr Mahathir Mohammad has been in an interesting position with regards to such innovations. Back when he was on the cusp of being ousted (or rather, having successfully ousted himself) as prime minister in early 2020, Mahathir mooted the idea of a unity government.
This call would have been infinitely more interesting had it not been seen as a desperate attempt by Mahathir to retain power when he eventually realised he had overplayed his hand and was going to lose everything.
The idea of a unity government re-emerged recently, being mooted by Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said.
Mahathir meanwhile has come up with yet another ‘innovation’. I lose track of the many names being thrown about, but I think the latest version was a “National Recovery Council.”
Once again, some of the interesting ideas in there are overshadowed by the painfully obvious fact that this is a desperate attempt by Mahathir to reassert his influence. We can admire the man’s persistence in his old age, but this by no means obligates us to be taken in once again by his endless machinations. I think Mahathir has done quite enough damage to Malaysia already.
Of course, other political players in the established elite class have completely failed to come out with anything interesting or viable either.
Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein very clearly made or is still making a run for the top spot. I don’t know what Anwar Ibrahim’s latest gambit is, but there are no indications that he will go on to achieve what he has failed multiple times to do, and make ‘strong, formidable, and convincing’ anything more than a meme.
Tomorrow, the Council of Rulers will meet, ostensibly to examine these same questions. Having the monarchy intervene in this situation can be something of a double-edged sword however, especially with regards to the types of precedents it may set. It may be difficult to significantly alter our political trajectory while maintaining the sheen of impartiality.
Wong Chin Huat is a dear friend, and one of the experts on Malaysian politics I respect the most. He recently wrote an article about the same impasse we are facing.
He made some key points that I strongly agree with - in particular about how the leaders who are best suited to run the country are those who are most adept at bringing people together.
Where our perspectives may differ perhaps is where such leaders are likely to come from.
Busy mudslinging
Wong emphasises that all major political players must be brought to the same, cooperative table. I contend that if this was possible, it would have been done long ago.
Where his solution stresses inclusivity of all these political elites, I have been leaning towards approaches where the solution is in fact to exclude them. I say this not out of excessive hate or such. Many senior political players are personal friends, and beyond a doubt, good people.
The problem, however, is that even the best of the political elite are stuck so deep in a swamp filled with toxic baggage, that for my money, trying to have them play a leading role in any sort of nation-building process will be more of a liability than an asset.
Put another way - politicians cannot provide solutions to the problem, because politicians are the problem. Again, this is not a personal attack. This is an indictment of a system that has been allowed to descend into toxic dysfunctionality for so long that it is beyond repair.
(And I cannot help but note that looking to Mahathir of all people to reverse this situation is truly too much irony for this poor columnist to bear).
I’ve been singing this tune, or some variation thereof, for long enough for some readers to get pretty bored of it I’m sure.
These last few months, however, I think we are seeing a growing consensus - even in the mainstream - that the entire system itself is broken and a growing appetite for genuine innovation.
The Bangsa Malaysia solution
More than a few non-political groups are starting to put forth their versions of solutions and ways to innovate and reform the system. The one I have been most partial to is the one centred around the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, as put forth by Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim).
The essence of this nation-building project is that Malaysia has been conditioned for so long by our political leaders to believe that there is more that divides us than unites us.
This fact is the simplest explanation for why Bangsa Malaysia is, in fact, quite simply not yet a thing. There has never been genuine political will to forge a sense of shared nationhood because our politicians are incentivised to keep us divided and dependent.
Among the vilest myths perpetrated as part of this purposeful divisiveness is the notion that Malaysians are powerless and that our democratic agency is limited to one vote every five years.
A divided nation is indeed disempowered. To be empowered, and to take back our future from our failed political leaders, we need to be a united nation.
In our conversations, Wong likes to joke that I am a ‘unity fetishist’. One of his trademark, unforgettable quips is that those who want unity should go to North Korea. I have always appreciated his humour.
Revolutionsing democracy
I think Malaysians are however more than capable of a much more nuanced understanding of unity. I believe at this point in our nation’s history, what we need the most is a sense of shared identity and a shared purpose.
This goes beyond hollow nasi lemak or Thomas Cup only unity. This is a deeply felt emotion that we are all in this together. That - especially in an age of Covid-19 - we sink or swim as one.
If we choose ‘swim’, then we need leaders who believe there is more that unites us than divides us - and who are willing to invest the immense time and energy to build the consensus about what the shared values we can build a national identity around are.
With as much due respect I can muster, I think it is foolish to look to our political elites to play this role. Would you hire a plumber who has failed to fix every single sink they have encountered?
Wong is absolutely correct in that we should look to leaders who are succeeding in bringing people together. I believe Malaysia is full of such leaders. Leaders who are rooted deeply in strong values; leaders who have demonstrated time and again their positive, on the ground impact; leaders who have always advocated sensible, rakyat-centric policies.
These are the kinds of people with good track records of bringing people together, collaborating, and building consensus and common ground. I also believe none of these leaders is active in any major Malaysian political party right now.
I believe they can be found in civil society. No one works in this sector for money or glory because there’s quite frankly none of either to be found there. The only people who do this thankless work are those who truly believe in the cause.
Many of them are coming up with good ideas for the nation’s future, and innovative, viable strategies for getting us there (including innovations on how to bridge the gap between the NGO and the political approach).
Maybe it’s time we gave them a chance. - Mkini
NATHANIEL TAN works with Projek Wawasan Rakyat (POWR). He will be discussing #BangsaMalaysia and #NextGenDemocracy with his favourite civil society leaders on Wednesday night. He can be reached at nat@engage.my.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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