Tread carefully into the future
THE one undeniable conclusion that can be drawn from the 14th General Election (GE14) is that democracy is alive, well and maturing in Malaysia. Despite allegations of bias in the various election machinery, the opposition coalition managed, for the first time in Malaysia’s history, to garner sufficient votes and parliamentary seats to set up a federal government.
Democracy, however, is a multi-faceted creature and travels with an entourage. Among others, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, meritocracy and personal freedoms accompany democracy. It will be a significant challenge for the incoming ruling coalition to accommodate these travelling companions while not jeopardising the fragile balance among the multiracial, multireligious and multicultural masses which form the Malaysian people.
On the positive side, at the helm of our new government is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is probably the man most suited and capable to successfully pull off this daunting task.
Although touted as the coming of age of Malaysian politics, my personal view is that a mature democracy is not metamorphosed overnight. And just to avoid misinterpretations, by mature democracy I mean a society which is able to accept and adhere to measures enacted by a democratically elected government even though some or even a majority of that society’s members do not wholeheartedly agree with these acts or policies.
Thus, once the euphoria of winning a historic victory simmers down and the real work begins, Dr Mahathir and his Cabinet will have to decide on quite a few sensitive and all too real issues. An example is to what extent meritocracy will be implemented in the immediate aftermath. Please do not get me wrong, I support equal opportunities for all regardless of race, gender, religion or other differences inherent in a diverse society such as ours. I also believe that not implementing m eritocracy fosters laziness, corruption, feelings of disenfranchisement and intolerance.
On the other hand, I also believe that sincere and mutual respect must be the bedrock upon which a meritocratic society can be built. Without this respect, the same feelings of disenfranchisement and intolerance may arise and perceived injustices would result in meritocratic policies being viewed as oppressive even though the opposite is true.
So, in implementing meritocracy and other well-developed democratic policies, the newly elected government must also concurrently seek to carry out measures which foster sincere mutual respect among Malaysia’s diverse society. It is vital for the development of our democracy that all races, especially the majority race of the Malays, not be given the impression that they have paid too high a price to depose of an autocrat. I acknowledge that in saying this I may be wildly presumptuous and am underestimating the voting maturity of the majority of the Malays. If so, I apologise to those who take offence. Needless to say, as I have a right to an opinion, I also respect anyone’s right to civilly disagree with me.
All Malaysians must also bear in mind that although both loose and formal opposition political coalitions have existed before, none had been viewed viable enough by a sufficient number of voters to break the Barisan National stronghold of the federal government. I would submit that on this occasion, the viability only existed because of the elderly but brilliant politician leading the coalition. In truth, Malays trusted Dr Mahathir more than they trusted Umno.
Let us not take one step forward and two steps back in developing our democratic values. Let us build a nation which will be, in time, immune to the vagaries of race, religion and other differences. Let us not rush self-righteously into the future but tread carefully. Above all, let us preserve the peace our nation has enjoyed, for only with continued peace can we concentrate on developing ourselves and ensuring our nation’s success. AHMAD ZAKI ISMAIL Petaling Jaya