At a govt clinic, a healthy sign of Malaysian unity despite sick politics

 We’re all the same underneath our differently-coloured skin and it's time we change how we see and treat each other instead of trying to change the entire nation.

At my local government clinic recently, I sat among many fellow Malaysians, feeling at peace with things. That I was there meant I’m still alive, and whatever ailment afflicts me is not fatal. Not immediately so anyway.

Lately, my presence at such clinics has become more frequent. But I’m not quite a leach on our national health service, mind you. I still have my own private medical insurance. For more serious issues, I still go to see specialists at private hospitals and help them buy their second Ferrari.

I’m as old as our nation. But while nations can be full of vim and vigour even after decades and centuries of existence, the human body is more frail. We mere mortals each have an expiry date and each passing day takes us one day closer to that date.

Enough of doom and gloom. At such clinics I get to see the real Malaysia in all its glory and all its frailties. The geography of Malaysia is no doubt amazing, as is our food and culture, but people are what make the country what it is.

Malaysians have our own history of acrimony and angry discourse, at times teetering towards being a failed nation. But, and this is an important but, we haven’t gone over it yet, while many other countries have. Long may it remain that way.

If you’re in a Malay or Chinese or Indian neighbourhood, that’s what you get – a Malay or Chinese or Indian microcosm of the nation, splendid by itself, but not quite a full representation of the soul of Malaysia

Unfortunately, you won’t see very much of it elsewhere either, whether at government schools, the civil service, corporate offices or gated neighbourhoods and condominium apartments.

Separate but together

Malaysia has become very compartmentalised. We’re not actually hostile to each other, apart from the usual rabble-rousers garbed in the flags of political parties or robes of religions. But we’re not very close either. We seem to meet and deal with others at the edges and peripheries of our ethnic comfort zones.

I’m certainly not trying to make the case that being at a government health clinic is a great unifying experience. While I elect to be there, there are many who don’t have that option, and the burden of illnesses or injuries they carry can often be seen in their faces and bodies.

Let me rattle off the positives for me, though. First, this is our tax ringgit at work, doing what tax ringgit is supposed to do. Unfortunately, vast amounts of our tax ringgit is regularly siphoned away to enrich some unprincipled fellow citizens feasting on our shared wealth.

Second, those at the clinic have more important things weighing on their minds than just observing their fellow Malaysians. They could be in need of medical treatment, or they could be the carers of such people. Unlike me, I doubt if many would actually say they enjoy being there.

I like their honesty and lack of pretension and entitlement. Nobody cares very much about who you are outside of the clinic. If we talk at all, it’s often just to ask about or explain the unfortunate circumstances that brought us there.

How often do we see fellow Malaysians of all backgrounds seated together side by side without looking uncomfortable? Most of our public places, especially ones that require us to be close with each other – restaurants, food courts, places of worship – seem to be divided almost exclusively by ethnicity.

See the good in ourselves

Third, the clinic staff appear to be hardworking and dedicated, in spite of their workload in handling a constantly increasing number of patients. I wouldn’t smear them with the usual generalisation of lazy public servants. Any capitalist would’ve been more than happy to have these people in their employ.

When we whinge about Malaysia, and God knows there are enough reasons for us to do so, we often fail to realise there’s that abstract entity called Malaysia and there are real flesh and blood Malaysians.

There isn’t much most of us can do to change the nation, regardless of our desire and wishes. There are powerful forces – fear, greed, insecurity – lined up against us. Often, these forces win and even change us into what we started out hating.

Most of us have been driven apart by so much divisive rhetoric and acts, especially political ones, that we seek comfort only among our kind, at most giving polite smiles and spouting empty words about diversity and fairness and unity.

Change from within

But there’s a lot we can do to help ourselves and our fellow Malaysians regardless of the usual divisive factors, as opposed to trying to change the entire nation. Changing how we see and treat each other is well within our control. The usual barriers of language, religions, culture etc are mostly in our minds, and can be overcome.

Let the politicians worry about getting millions of votes. Let us instead worry about changing the minds of those in our immediate circles of family, friends, neighbours, colleagues.

Let us remind each other that while Malaysia has its fair share of bad leaders, most Malaysians are just like us. In spite of our differences, we should be united by what we have in common: that we want to lead a good life and do the best we can for those we love.

A government medical clinic is a great place to see these things we have in common. We all grow old, often get sick and need to have the care and attention of our fellow Malaysians. At some point this becomes so important that we forget about anything else.

The universe has a way of showing us we’re all the same underneath our differently-coloured skin. We should realise this earlier rather than later, so that we can still do something about it.

To my fellow Malaysians, I wish you good health, long life and Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka! - FMT

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