THE year we are about to leave behind is littered with debris that must be swept away before we embark on another journey into the new year.
We must roll up our sleeves and collect all the hurts, wounds and anger and dump them in the dustbin of history and hope they would never ever be repeated. We must not “drag the past into the present”.
Now, there is a huge signboard pointing the way forward into the year 2025. The message it carries is loud and clear: Malaysia needs a new world order to stay united and strong.
Changes are needed with the way we think, lead and act because our society is still fragile. It is held together by paperclips, and, at any moment, it can fall apart.
We need a fresh start. But how do we pursue a course of action that will ensure we rise free from the perils of the past? Is there still hope that Malaysia can remain a nation rooted firmly in principles and values that can help us grow and thrive unimpeded?
What do we wish to see in this new world order?
For starters, we would like to see fellow citizens take centre stage to fight back any attempt to disrupt the peaceful flow of life.
All must stand up and speak their mind without fear. They must press home the all-important point that Malaysia is a land rich in diversity and no one must be allowed to sow discord.
They must assert unequivocally that any attempt to erect barriers between communities or to poison race relations is totally unacceptable and will be resolutely opposed.
In other words, the new story will begin with the common citizens actively taking charge of the destiny of the country.
The moment a rabble-rouser starts a fire over an issue, big or small that threatens to engulf the country, the common people must spring into action and douse the flame.
In this take-charge approach, all citizens must check on the excesses of those holding the reins of power and offer alternative proposals and solutions for the good of the country.
They can use all the modern tools of technology to advance their arguments or hold town hall meetings to discuss national issues or engage directly with their elected representatives to tick them off for any political misconduct or betrayal of public trust.
For far too long, career politicians have been resorting to confrontation and conflict to create dramatic tensions that, at times, nearly brought Malaysia to the brink.
In this new world, the ordinary people must seize the initiative to try their level best to bring sanity and order to the cut-throat world of politics. They must vigorously proclaim that conflict doesn’t sell or pay.
Politics seems to be an all-consuming passion because it is regarded as the springboard to power and wealth. But politics is more than the pursuit of personal aggrandisement.
Politics is the key to the very survival of the nation and we have to live with it. Hence, it is imperative that all citizens become increasingly aware of the importance of politics in our daily life.
This means helping to keep the balance of power so that no one side can dominate or claim superiority over the other. Elected leaders must also be at the forefront in the “war” on unhealthy practices that can harm our multiracial society.
Our enemies are inside our borders. They come in various forms of dogmas and schools of thoughts that go against the norms of a free society.
We must reject them all and cling tenaciously to our preferred Malaysian way of life that welcomes the beauty of unity in diversity.
In the new world, we must all sit down at the table of muhibah (goodwill) and celebrate the feasts that keep us together and not the differences that keep us apart.
In this transformed environment, we want the spotlight to shine more on news about bold policies and ideas to take the country to new heights of development.
The national conversation must be about the benefits of unity. About excellence in education. About economic justice. About making science and technology the major thrust in the national agenda. And many more uplifting stories that would gladden the hearts of all citizens.
We don’t want to read about the rantings and exploits of nationalist heroes anymore. Or about greed, corruption and immoral behaviour.
Or about controversial rulings from religious figures that ruffle the feathers of minority ethnic groups. The pages of sensationalism and heroism must be torn out and discarded.
In this new world order, the song of unity and freedom must be louder than the jarring noise of racism, bigotry, and discrimination. The contours of parliamentary democracy must come into sharper focus so that the country can move in the right direction.
More importantly, the new order must give the Federal Constitution “peerless priority” in the conduct of the nation.
It must be a lighthouse to guide the ship of state on a steadier course, it must be a lodestar in the skies to show the way to a better life, and it must forever remain a beacon of hope for Malaysia. – Dec 10, 2024
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: The Star
