Letter to Editor
I AM an ordinary Malaysian who has little political awareness until the 14th General Election (GE14). At that time, there was a sense of hope after the corrupt Barisan Nasional (BN) was toppled after 61 years in power.
Fast forward more than three years later, there’s now a sense of despondency over the political situation in the country now.
UMNO is back in power and the Prime Minister is from the party. On the other hand, Pakatan Harapan (PH) has left much to be desired and this is telling from the drubbing it received in the Malacca polls.
Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional (PN) is unable to come across as a formidable force due to its lack of grassroots machinery and failure to cobble together a credible coalition.
But I am not about to give up hope on this country yet. Malaysia is a land of milk and honey. Despite the rhetoric and division sowed by our politicians, the multiracial people in the country still live peacefully and respect each other.
As we near the end of 2021 after almost two years of challenges posed by COVID-19, it’s time we look to new political players that can offer hope to this country as we enter 2022 and beyond.
As it is, the main protagonists in our political scene have not changed much for decades. Everyone knows who they are – and they include a 96-year-old man who still wants to be the PM for the third time.
We cannot hope to solve problems and move forward with old mindsets. First of all, it’s time we ditch identity politics, especially those related to race and religion.
For far too long, politicians have manipulated race and religion for political means but to the detriment of our national unity and competitiveness. We need truly multi-racial parties to take care of all Malaysians – not those who have token multi-racial representation for window dressing purposes.
Just earlier this week, the issue of air stewardess uniforms was a topic in the Dewan Rakyat. Do politicians not have any other topics of national interests to raise in the hallowed chambers?
While on this, we need political parties that treat women with respect and dignity. We should not discriminate against women anymore. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and just-retired German Chancellor Angela Merkel were exemplary female leaders.
And now that Undi18 has been approved, we need to rope in the young to play a more important role in our politics. The young have less baggage, have more fresh ideas and are not yet tainted by desires to enrich themselves the way many of the veteran politicians are.
Hugely popular Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was only 44 when he took office.
As 2021 draws to a close, I hold out for a better Malaysia next year and beyond. Let’s not give up on this beautiful nation of ours.
For Malaysia to continue to prosper, perhaps it’s time for a strong, moderate and credible third force to take up the mantle. – Dec 16, 2021
Susan Long
Kuala Kubu Bahru
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
