Is Muda made up of the radical young or is it the same old?

 

From Kua Kia Soong

Lest we forget, adults can gain great insights from the curious questions young folk ask and, arguably, it is the role of the younger generations to question everything.

From the ancient Greeks to Einstein and Marx and on to the youth revolts in so many countries in more recent times, the young have played a critical role in questioning the status quo.

With the spectre of the climate crisis, economic stagnation, widening wealth inequality, the political quagmire of the two coalitions, and the never-ending racial policies in Malaysia, we desperately need fresh thinking and direction from a new political force.

So, when Muda emerged on the Malaysian political scene, it seemed like a refreshing start-up. Yet up to now, it remains unclear as to what this “Party of the Young” stands for and it seems as if young Malaysians are not asking how is it different from the two political coalitions.

Is Muda just going to be providing a young veneer to the same old same old? To say that you are against corruption is neither here nor there. Which political party ever stands out and says it is for corruption?

We hear the Muda leaders have been negotiating with Pakatan Harapan. But were these talks about horse trading over seats in the Johor elections or about important substantive issues facing the nation?

First, we would like to know whether Muda has non-racial solutions for Malaysia’s political institutions. Given that the initiator of Muda was a member of the race-based Bersatu, does Muda present us with hope for a non-racial solution to Malaysian politics?

Will Muda then initiate the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) to ensure that all legislations in the country abide by international human rights standards?

Secondly, does Muda have non-racial solutions to Malaysia’s economic development? Knowing the initiator of Muda was a devotee of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was the main proponent of the Bumiputera policy and neo-liberal capitalism, does Muda intend to continue the racially discriminatory New Economic Policy and neo-liberal policies?

Would Muda open the government-linked companies (GLCs) to democratic control of the people and direct them to implement good labour and environmental policies?

Would Muda implement strong public sector health, education, housing and transport services, including highways which have been privatised to crony capitalists at the expense of the public good?

What policies does Muda have for helping our small and medium enterprises, farmers and fisherfolk to develop our local food and industrial production? To fund this and to ameliorate wealth inequality, will Muda levy higher taxes on wealth and profits, combined with progressive taxation of income?

Thirdly, does Muda have non-racial solutions to Malaysia’s social development, including poverty eradication, our small and medium industries, Malaysian workers of all ethnicities, migrant workers, the Orang Asli and other indigenous peoples, urban settlers, women, children, senior citizens, the disabled and, not forgetting, initiatives for our youth, regardless of ethnicity.

Fourthly, does Muda have non-racial solutions to Malaysia’s education system, including special assistance to all underprivileged sectors and classes based on needs and not on race?

Would it consider a means-tested sliding scale of education grants and loans for all who qualify to enter tertiary institutions, regardless of ethnicity, religion or gender?

Would Muda consider all Malaysian schools using the mother tongue of Malaysians to be built by democratically elected local councils and for funds for all schools to be allocated fairly? Will Muda recognise the United Examination Certificate (UEC) of the Independent Chinese Secondary Schools since both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan have failed to do so?

Finally, does Muda have a non-racial solution to Malaysia’s National Cultural Policy?

Will the party promote knowledge, respect and sensitivity among Malaysians on cultures, religions and ethnicity of all our peoples?

Will the cultural works by all Malaysians, regardless of the language in which they are written, be eligible for national artistic and literary awards and scholarships and will all ethnic Malaysian cultures be fairly represented in official cultural bodies and the media?

These are some of the critical questions any voter would pose to this “Party of the Young”, and we expect Muda to reveal its manifesto as soon as possible, certainly before the Johor state elections. As the old African proverb goes, “The youth can walk faster, but the elder knows the road.” - FMT

Kua Kia Soong, a human rights defender, is a former MP and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.