Too many of us were too quick to grumble when Amanah chief Mat Sabu said we were “fearful” of change. Had we taken the time to reflect, many of us would likely have agreed with him.
The truth is that we have not been dislodged enough from our comfort zones to inspire a people power movement for meaningful change.
We quite happily throw brickbats at our leaders, and they are well deserved. But a politician is a politician and destined to disappoint a smaller or larger portion of us. We should instead participate more directly in the political process.
The avenues available to us are petition, protest, and the media when it comes to getting the attention of politicians. Those avenues are somewhat underutilized, though one must say that the recent drive by all segments of society to get enough responses to Pemandu’s survey regarding English education is a major example of society participating more directly in the political process.
It is important to establish dialogue with bodies like Pemandu, which is ultimately is in charge of the game plan when it comes to national development. We’ve made a start in taking responsibility for our political process by not merely complaining, but making it clear that we want our children to have the chance to succeed wherever they may put down roots.
But that’s only a beginning. It takes more than that to empower the rakyat as a political entity, and one suspects this was the subject Mat Sabu was addressing.
Power, as we currently define it, lies with the government. We, the people, have none, or think we have none. Thus we fear a change in the status quo because it might mean challenging the immense power of the government. It is not just financial and psychological power that the government possesses. It also has physical power, which includes the power to punish. Challenging such an entity is a dangerous project indeed.
This is probably why we are quite content to cheer Khairuddin Abu Hassan while grumbling about his allegiances quietly under our breath. This is why there was never any threat of Bersih ever being forced to disperse by the government. Come Sunday evening, like polite Malaysians, we would pack up and go home, and normal programming would resume as scheduled.
The lesson from Mat Sabu’s outburst is that the people must reclaim their power and participate in the political process. If we do not, we risk being cut out of it.
Write to your MP. Educate your friends on important issues, on why we all should care about where this country is headed. Organize as a community and form bonds as well as common goals, and push until your voice is heard. And if you hear a voice calling for help, help. Spread the word and call attention to the issues that concern us all.
We must shift from our tribal mindset to one that is more beneficial to each other. Malaysians must be for other Malaysians. Together, we will call out until they hear us or the world does first. The government cannot ignore the voices of the people when they stand together.