Finding optimism for 2019

Things will be better if the government can show that its policies benefit all, and if there are new platforms to deal with the people’s frustrations in a more structured way.

IT has been a momentous year for Malaysia, but “momentous” does not necessarily mean “good”, nor “in the long term”. Since our historic general election, there has been a mix of developments that have altered the mood of many Malaysians.

It is easier to see the events that have caused anger, frustration and disappointment.

These are well documented by the press and simply found on social media.

Reversals in policy or conversely, failure to reverse policy, and perceived incompetence have angered people in equal measure on opposing sides of various issues.

These include the contents of the budget and tax reforms; appointments to ministries and statutory bodies of “unqualified” people; proposals for a third national car; the payment of educational loans; the ratification of international treaties; whether elected representatives of opposition parties should be allowed into other parties; and assigning responsibility over the death of heroic firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

The tone of the disagreements over these issues points to strong underlying passions. And the propensity of these passions to be justified by appeals to certain subsets of the population rather than for the benefit of all Malaysians is cause for concern.

This is particularly the case when explicit racial and religious arguments are used to condemn a certain decision or intention.

I wrote previously that some of these sentiments might be deliberately exaggerated by political incentives.

Yet, the line between healthy, open debate and destructive divisiveness must be addressed.

The most effective thing that any government can do is prove that its policies are beneficial for everyone.

At the same time, it must not lose sight of the risks to national stability posed by those who are intent on sowing violence.

As I mentioned in my last major speech of the year, other institutions – in particular Parliament and civil society – can create new platforms to deal with these frustrations in a more structured way.

But as long as those who want to foment division think it will benefit them, they will continue to do so.

They think nothing of our national motto, “Unity is strength”.

They misinterpret the Federal Constitution as perpetuating division rather than unity.

They forget that the Rukunegara calls for courtesy, and they trample upon the vision of the country conceived by our founding fathers.

I have always maintained that any citizen must have the freedom to challenge the content or narrative of any of our national objects.

However, until and unless they are superseded by others through a legitimate process, it remains our Federal Constitution, Rukunegara, Jata Negara, Jalur Gemilang and Negaraku that enjoy legitimacy, and it is the duty of the government and patriots to promote a shared understanding of them.

Yet, there are many Malaysians who do have a perfectly good understanding of these national objects.

And perhaps, unlike more agitated citizens, they prefer not to comment on every development that arises.

They prefer working hard, building their careers, supporting their families, and seizing the opportunities and beauty that Malaysia still affords them. While they certainly have opinions about political developments, they will choose to evaluate their position at the next general election.

In 2018, I had the distinct privilege of working with so many people with this attitude across all types of organisations: listed companies, small and medium enterprises, private colleges and public universities, charitable foundations, sports bodies, youth associations, civil society groups, government ministries and agencies, royal households, refugee centres and musical societies.

My last public event for the year was the Gala Concert to showcase the winners of the 7th Asean International Chopin Piano Competition organised by the Chopin Society of Malaysia at Sunway University.

I have been a trustee of the society since 2014, during which time I have had the pleasure of exchanging many musical opinions with the patron, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

For years we discussed the idea of playing a duet together – me on piano, she on violin – and finally we did so, performing one of our favourite pieces each, sandwiching an arrangement of a nocturne by the society’s namesake.

During the rehearsal sessions at the personal home of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we jammed on Malay classics.

And while the winners showcased that evening came from across the region, the participants of the competition and the audience, with my family in attendance, were truly Malaysian.

Right at the back was the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, who had invited me to deliver the first of the Speaker’s Lecture Series a week prior.

These two events were a gratifying way to end my 2018, and I hope all my readers are able to find similar satisfaction as we welcome 2019.

Happy New Year!

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas). The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.