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©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Rafidah Abdullah

Fifty years ago, the peoples who were domiciled in this land made a social contract with each other.

I wasn’t around then, so I don’t really know what went on, but this was the result:

The Malays, who until then had constituted a people, a polity, agreed to become a community among several communities in their own land and accept the huge numbers of Chinese and Indian migrants as co-citizens in a wholly new country.

(In today’s terms, this would be roughly equivalent to, for instance, China absorbing a billion Malay and Indian migrants and agreeing to form an entirely new nation with them as equal citizens.)

The non-Malays, in return, were to accede to the Malays certain privileges for a limited time, with regard to land ownership, scholarships, business licences and civil service positions, as well as to a political system that ensured Malay pre-eminence.

Fast-forward fifty years. What does all this mean to my generation, a generation divorced from this contract made by national leaders, all of whom have since passed on?

Thanks to the particular brand of communal politics born all those years ago, my generation has inherited a divided nation with one side feeling denied and frustrated and the other feeling insecure, and clinging desperately to a sense of entitlement.

Very few understand why things are this way, or take a moment to pause and query why things have become this way.

Don’t get me wrong, what was decided all those years ago was probably the best way for the country at that time. What is disturbing is that as a nation, we haven’t been able to move on from that starting point to create a real sense of belonging for our plural family.

Thanks largely to “ethno-nationalist champions”, we are still harping on how Malays get all sorts of privileges, at times entirely undeserved, and how non-Malays should just keep quiet and be grateful to be given a home here without even having to give up their culture and identity. Given that both sides have valid points, how many more years will it take for us to move on?

We have such a long way to go still, and so many more issues to deal with. And this year, our 50th year as an independent nation, seems to be an opportune time for us all to take stock of what we have and set some goals for this dear country of ours.

So, here’s my wish list, in no particular order, for Malaysia 50 years from now:

1. Political parties that are Malaysian first, and Malay/Chinese/Indian/Lain-lain (Others) last or better still, not racialised at all.

Politicians who refuse to use the race card to achieve their aims because to do so would be plain wrong.

Leaders who realise that “looking after my own community” means finding a win-win situation for all Malaysians.

2. All of us would have transcended not only the race issue, but also the gender issue. Political parties would have abolished their Wanita (Women) wings because they realise how demeaning it is to imply that women are not equal enough to operate within the party’s main body. (Or alternatively, for there to be a political party with the guts to set up a Lelaki (Men) wing – I’d vote for it!)

And for all daughters and sons of Malaysia to have a real chance at becoming prime minister.

3. A shift in mentality across the board – from rakyat (the people) to rulers – from the perception of the government as a benefactor to be thanked and praised, to a realisation that it is a body made up of the rakyat to serve the rakyat and should be professional and accountable, just like any other service industry.

All public servants to have a true understanding of the words “public service”. And, within the service, efficiency and initiative to be recognised and rewarded (regardless of skin colour).

4. A return to the Islam that the Prophet preached: an Islam that encourages dialogue between peoples; that dispenses justice to everyone, not just to Muslims; and that is secure enough in itself to take (real and perceived) threats and
insults calmly and intelligently.

And a goodbye to a brand of Islam that is obsessed with controlling the ummah (the faithful), from what they wear in public to what they do in private.

5. A corruption-free government that puts the rakyat’s social welfare at the top of its list of concerns, and is serious about getting to the bottom of why, for example, Malaysia still has incredibly high rates of rape and incest despite our world-class achievements and infrastructure. And a realisation, from the top down, that not talking about a shameful truth doesn’t make it any less true.

Improbable? Maybe. Impossible? No. But we have to do something, and it needs to be done now. Let’s all sit down for teh tarik and really get to know each other. We’ve already lost 50 years arguing. By the time our 100th anniversary rolls around, will there be anyone left here to fight with?

Happy birthday, tanahairku (my homeland).

Rafidah Abdullah is a Malaysian who is tired of answering questions about her ethnic origins and who wishes fervently that it didn’t matter as much as it seems to.

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