It’s been 58 years since Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak merged to form Malaysia. Singapore was expelled in 1965, but that’s another story.
Although we gained independence from colonial rule and decided to forge a common destiny as a free and democratic Malaysia in 1963, it looks as if we are still not free. I’ll tell you why.
In the past, the British colonised us and the Japanese briefly occupied our land before the British returned to rule. Our lives and actions were dictated by their policies and agendas. Right now, our lives and actions are dictated by an invisible enemy – the Covid-19 virus.
We cannot even celebrate national day in the manner in which we usually do because the virus is all over the place and it loves crowds. The number of daily cases has shot up past 15,000 and hundreds of people are dying in a day due to Covid-19.
We are all largely confined to our houses as we fear going out, in case we catch the virus. We only go out if it is necessary, such as to buy food or to our workplaces or the grocery store. Schools are still closed and students have missed more than a year of proper schooling.
We live in fear of an invisible enemy. We are not free.
Malaysia is 58 years old and you can still be charged and jailed for drawing a cartoon or saying something that displeases those in power. You have to be very careful whom you criticise, even if its genuinely done and has basis.
Are we really free when we live in fear of saying what we really think?
There are so many issues that need ventilation but we can’t talk about them even in open, well-managed forums because they are deemed to be sensitive and the police will pounce on us if we do. Even if the authorities remain silent, some group or other will create a ruckus, even trouble.
How free are we as a society when we are not mature enough to openly discuss issues affecting all of us without resorting to shouting, recrimination or violence?
Our elected representatives can’t even move motions – such as a no-confidence motion in Parliament – due to “technical” or other non-satisfactory reasons. Some important Bills are proposed or tabled by the government without proper public consultation or even giving elected representatives sufficient time to read through and properly debate the ramifications of such Bills.
And some people in authority – including civil servants – interpret the law and rules according to the will of their political masters. Where’s the freedom in this?
Once, the British were in charge, but today local political elites run the show. Certainly, there is much improvement but one can’t help feeling that the elites are cooperating to help themselves; one can’t help feeling that they manipulate legal structures and institutions to win power or stay in power so that they and their families and friends can enjoy power and pelf.
The best part is that they do it in the name of the rakyat.
In 2018, the majority of Malaysians voted for the Pakatan Harapan coalition and sent Umno, PAS and Umno’s partners packing. It was the voice of the people.
But some of the political elite decided otherwise. Within 22 months, they ganged-up to cause the collapse of the lawfully elected government and an unelected government led by Bersatu head Muhyiddin Yassin took over. What happened to the will of the rakyat?
Then, the same elites decided they didn’t like their own arrangement and following further intrigue and manipulation, caused another change; and we now have a new prime minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob of Umno.
One unelected government – or “back-door government” as it was popularly known – was replaced by another unelected government in less than two years. The two administrations were not put in place by the votes of the people but by the desires and decisions of some of these political elites.
The fact is, these politicians did not respect the rights and wishes of the voters. Where then is our freedom as citizens with voting rights?
Previously a group of foreigners lorded over us, today it is a group of well-connected, powerful locals. Is that freedom?
And here’s another thing: After so many years, we are still closeted in our own racial and religious worlds, quarrelling over race and religion.
When we look at someone, we generally tend to see a Malay, a Chinese, an Indian, a Kadazadusun, an Iban. We fail to see the Malaysian.
Politicians gleefully manipulate our racial and religious feelings and beliefs to win votes, and our politics is still race-based. Politics continues to place us in racial cubicles.
Shouldn’t we begin dismantling racially-based political parties 58 years after the formation of Malaysia?
Aren’t we trapped in racial and religious modes of thinking? Aren’t we trapped in the poison of us versus them, of “othering” fellow Malaysians who do not share our racial characteristics or religious beliefs? Isn’t it time to break out and be free?
Till today, some of us are so mentally challenged that we cannot accept the fact that there simply can’t be different gods for different people; that because of geographical and cultural differences, we call God by different names and approach Him/Her/It differently.
There is nothing wrong in believing your religion is great. But we must understand that everyone thinks his or her religion is also great; we must accept that our religion is good for us and his/her religion is good for him/her.
The problem arises when some of us start quarrelling or fighting in the name of God while simultaneously defining God as love and compassion.
We are quick to see the differences in our religions but not to understand the fundamental commonalities in them. We continue to give importance to the rituals and outer facets of our religious beliefs and quarrel over them, without attempting to understand that the essence is the same or similar.
We are still shackled by tribal mindsets and rotting in our self-made prisons; we are too lazy or refuse to reflect and change our attitudes; we are too lazy or refuse to break out of our self-made chains and truly embrace God and his creatures.
Isn’t it time we broke free?
I think we should learn an important lesson from the Covid-19 virus. It attacks anyone and everyone regardless of gender, race, religion, cultural practices, and geographical location.
The virus, which spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets released in the environment when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks, knows no race or religion. Whether you are a Muslim or a Buddhist or a Christian or a Hindu or a Sikh or belief in some other religion or even if you do not belief in a god, you are not spared.
Those of us who make much of our religions and are willing to quarrel or kill if someone disparages or insults them should reflect on this, as should those who are quick to condemn religions other than their own or assign superiority to their own religion.
The virus is showing us that it does not matter if your god is different from mine in name and form, it does not matter if your practices and rituals are different from mine. It is all the same to the virus.
For the virus, we are all humans who make good hosts for replicating itself. That’s all. There’s no Malay or Chinese or Indian or Iban or Kadazandusn or Sabahan or Kelantanese or Muslim or non-Muslim.
So, as we observe Malaysia Day, let’s break out from our self-made prisons and embrace each other as human beings. At the same time, administratively, let us allow greater freedom and democratic space to our Malaysian people.
