A More Candid Post

Dear Reader,

Thank you for dropping by my blog to read. I have made it a policy to write verse, rather than to air my personal thoughts, because I have thought that it would be better to say less, rather than antagonize certain parties who may be slighted by my views.

In this rare mood, I find that it may be a good time to start over, by writing more candidly -- and speaking out my mind. I will not be deleting the older posts that I have in the archives -- those serve to remind me, one day, of my journey. When I first started this blog, I did not put any personal details and wrote only fiction or verse. I felt that it was an outlet for me to experiment with my writing skills, but at the same time I did not wish to expose my identity.

In recent months much has been happening. Momentuous events, both personal and around me, have been taking place. I have become convinced that a blog is an extension of one's self -- one that serves to show the world, if it only cares to see, what a person is like. It is an opportunity to examine and understand a person's mind.

In recent months, events which have impressed me, are as follows:

1. The astounding rise and fall in the price of petrol. I was moved to record the events that shook the world, because I too was affected. Food prices, and prices of everyday commodities, also rose in tandem with the rise of petrol prices. However, the recent fall in the prices of petrol has not been reflected in the price of everything else. The price of petrol leads to a pinch in the pocket, which also translates to lesser spending  capacities for the average wage earner. This in turn, leads to a disgruntled population.
2. The political tsunami of March 8th. In what can only be described as a clear message to the Government of the day, voters throughout the nation upset the assumptions that our incumbents have had -- that the ruling coalition, which has had a two-thirds majority in Parliament, would give a commendable (and predictable) repeat performance. Instead, outcry after growing outcry has led to many, including those whose outward allegiances lie with the ruling coalition, to secretly cast their vote for an opposition candidate. Both the state legislature and the Parliamentary elections were held at the same time, taking all spectators and all those who voted, by surprise. 
3. MCA party elections. In October, I was involved in the internal party elections and successfully campaigned for a place in the youth wing. There is an uphill struggle for the party to rejuvenate itself amidst a bleak future. Every elections, there is an influx of a new generation of voters. These younger generation voters are not caught up with the politics of yesteryears. Instead, their concern is that we should progress forward. The younger generation wants change. They do not need politicians who sit there, aeon after aeon, recounting moments from their glorious history. Much less, do they need bigoted politicians who pass unsavoury remarks and discount the basic worth of a human being. And most of all, the younger generation does not need a pack of leaders, whose sole purpose in Parliament is to prop up the earlier mentioned group of bigoted leaders.
4. Prime Minister's suggestions for opening up Barisan Nasional. In a bold move, Prime Minister YAB Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to allow membership in Barisan Nasional without actually joining any particular party. (source: The Star Online, Let People Join Barisan Directly, says PM, 11th Oct 2008) However, various persons, including Pokok Sena UMNO division secretary, Ramli Mohd Yunus, were quoted saying that the suggestion was not the right way to rejuvenate UMNO or Barisan. (Source: Malaysiakini, Direct BN Membership "A Political Gimmick", 14th Oct 2008) Malaysian Voters Union coordinator BK Ong was also quoted by Malaysiakini saying that Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon had made the same suggestion 20 years ago, but nothing came of it. It is a pity that there has been no further remarks from the PM on the issue. It is also a pity that he will resign on March 2009 and thus fail to implement his suggestion.
5. Liow Tiong Lai proposes second deputy PM's post for MCA. In another bold move, outgoing youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai proposed that a second deputy Prime Minister's post be created, and it be allocated to MCA. (source: The Star Online, Liow proposes one more Barisan deputy chairman, 17th Oct 2008) This is an idea that I have supported for some time now, and I was very pleased to see it come from the outgoing youth chairman. The fact is that there is no requirement for a deputy prime minister in the Federal Constitution. But it is also a fact that Malaysia has had a deputy prime minister for every prime minister that has served this nation. (Source: Wikipedia, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, accessed 7th Nov 2008) Datuk Liow's suggestion is workable. In Singapore, it has been quite common to see two Deputy Prime Ministers in office at the same time. For example, in 1985 both Goh Chok Tong and Ong Teng Cheong became Deputy Prime Ministers. DPM Goh was replaced by Lee Hsien Loong in 1990 whereas Tan Keng Yam Tony took over DPM Ong's place in 1993. S. Jeyakumar took over (then) DPM Lee's place in 2004 whereas Wong Kan Seng took over DPM Tony Tan's place in 2005. (source: Wikipedia, Prime Minister of Singapore, accessed 7th Nov 2008)
6. Barack Obama became president of the USA. This momentuous event has everybody amazed. America has proven to the world that it is a land where things are possible. In this nation, however, as jubilant as we are that a "person of colour" can ascend to the seat of president, it is highly unlikely that a person other than that of the dominant party, will be nominated by the ruling coalition. This, it can be safely said, will be the case due to a healthy dose of Ketuanan Melayu rhetorics from the dominant party in the Barisan Nasional coalition. (Caution: The above link to "Ketuanan Melayu" on Wikipedia, accessed on 7th Nov 2008, appears to contain "misinformation", planted by its supporters, as evidenced by seriously bad spelling.) Malaysians must ask themselves, in cheering the successful election of a black president for America, should they not also cheer the appointment of a non-Malay to temporarily head the PKNS (ref: Malaysiakini, Chinese heads PKNS: Staff say "No", 28th Oct 2008) or a non-Malay who contests for the post of Prime Minister (ref: Aliran, Unconvincing claim that "anyone can be PM", 6th Nov 2008)?

There are surely more events that are worth examining in-depth. We are living in times which will be looked upon by future generations as defining moments, and crucial junctures, of Malaysian history. We are nearing the close of our first decade in this bold new millenium. Fifty years have passed since independence, and Malaysians have walked a long journey together. How will the next fifty years play out? That largely depends on the choices that we make today. I recall one statement from my years at Universiti Malaya, where I studied my LLM. "After fifty years of independence, it is sad that we still have to play racial politics."

The future is here, and it is what we do now that defines the tone of tomorrow. If we hope that the future will be one of peace and mutual prosperity, then all stakeholders in this nation must come together, and tear down the walls between us. We must build the future together. We cannot have tiers of rights and tiers of obligations. A stratified society will breed unhappiness. It is ridiculous when a certain segment of society expects itself to be the master class, and that other classes are its servants. In an age where slavery has been abolished and article 6 of the Federal Constitution outlaws slavery, it must be realised that talk of lordship only creates suspicion and hate. Instead we must choose to live together, and respect one another.

I hesitate to say (or type) integrate, because that may be misinterpreted as a positive stand on assimilation. But, when you come to think of it, what is wrong with assimilation? It only becomes wrong when assimilation (or inter-marriage) is only able to go one way, and not the other. Historical facts have shown that inter-marriage in this land is nothing new, leading to the establishment of various communities. The Baba Nyonya community is an example of intermarriage between Malays and Chinese. The Chitty community is an example of intermarriage between Tamils and Malays. Inter-marriage should not be frowned upon by society but accepted as the valid choice of two discerning adults.

In conclusion, let me just say that we need to move forward. We need to work together for our shared future. While it is easy to blame a particular community (not our own) for economic and political problems, it is easier to start by changing ourselves. Therefore let us start the change by changing ourselves. Let us change Barisan Nasional for the better. If we don't start somewhere, it will never happen. So let us start the change.

Thank you for reading.