After the Christmas greeting debacle, many Malaysians wonder if other festivals will be safe from Jakim’s scrutiny. We celebrated the first day of the Gregorian calendar with no major hitches. Perhaps, the Christmas greeting issue was nothing more than a diversionary tactic to distract us from the meat cartel scandal.

As we lurch from one scandal to another, it also looks like our civil servants worship the ground our ministers tread on. When Khairy Jamaluddin rode over a pothole and injured himself, the apology from JKR was swift. Where was the apology and compensation when others died or were hurt more seriously than Khairy?

We pray that the coronavirus pandemic will be contained by the new vaccines, but we should also try and build more hope in our democracy, instead of turning away, thinking that Malaysia’s political structure is a lost cause.

In 2021, there are some things we should dispense with, and others that need our concentrated attention.

The time is right to get rid of the old guard. Old-timers like Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Anwar Ibrahim have been around for at least four or five decades. They are relics of the past. They have no new ideas to contribute and their presence prevents new blood from rising within their respective parties. Our deference to old people has kept these “dinosaurs” in power.

Some of you may disagree, others may have more names, but when two adversaries are fighting for pole position, the rest of us are caught up in their personal vendettas. This is not good for the nation, we must move on.

If some personalities are anathema to our democracy, so too is the use of race and religion to pit one group of people against another. Why can’t we talk about our similarities instead of focusing on our differences?

This boils down to political power. Wannabe clerics pose as politicians, and wannabe politicians pose as clerics. They make a mess of the country. At a time when we need our wits about us, these men and women are as good as an umbrella in a hurricane.

The new focus in 2021 should be on empowering women. Women make up 50% of the workforce. When there is an election, many women help in the major effort behind the scenes. Many women know the struggles that a single mother faces to bring up her children, especially when the shariah law has failed her. The wife, whose husband decides to be a polygamist, knows that her children may never enjoy a father figure in the home, or the attention they deserve. In modern Malaysia, many women are the breadwinners.

Only a mother knows the pain of her underaged child being forced into an arranged marriage by her husband. In many households, the man’s word is law, and in some families, a woman cannot vote for her ideal candidate because her husband has threatened to leave her for another woman if she does. This situation should not happen in modern Malaysia.

Two weeks ago, three DAP women politicians had the courage to speak about a new beginning.

We are constantly warned that the Chinese and the DAP are the enemies of Malaysia, because they want to take over the country and make it a Christian nation. How can this be possible with Malay Muslims in charge of the nation’s ministries, armed forces and government departments?

In 2021, let us stop living under the false premise that a corrupt Malay is preferred over a non-corrupt non-Malay. All corrupt people, regardless of them being Malay, Chinese, Indian or any other race, should be tried in court and punished. Upon conviction, they should not be allowed to roam the countryside and sow more division in society. If the nation is to heal, all criminals must learn their lessons the hard way and the nation must see this happen.

Finally, the rest is up to you. Speak out if you see or hear about an injustice or corrupt act. Don’t think that because you are non-Malay, you should not bother with the issues which only the Muslims experience.

The politician who declared that his constituency was Malay territory and warned a supermarket to remove non-halal items was a bully. A leader who demolishes temples is a bully. The Malays are slowly waking up to the horrors of some of their politicians, but it will take our collective effort to end their arrogance.

Speak out and do not be afraid. Your silence makes politicians think you agree with them. If you are not registered to vote, then register now. GE15 is upon us and you need to show the politicians who is the boss.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.