The day after

The Day After
I was back to work by mid-morning today as i was assigned to gather some feedback from the business community of the impact of the electoral outcomes. from the feedback, there is expectation that sentiment would weaken further as uncertainty looms over the setting up of a new federal administration as well as state governments. nonetheless, those i've spoken to express hope that no violent incident would take place during this period of transition of power.

I choose to be optimistic. i believe that Malaysians have grown more civilised than 39 years ago. while we could not be totally rid of delinquents and extremists, the bulk of us are still keen on keep the peace and harmony that we've enjoyed so far. also, the difference between now and 1969 is that we've become a more mature society with longer history and identity. most of us are second or third generations of Malays, Chinese, Indians and aborigines, who have not experienced World War 2 or any significant conflicts.

We grew up together among each other with the various cultures, beliefs and customs. we're used to practices of our Muslim friends when they fast, or when firecrackers broke during Chinese New Year (altho' this is forbidden legally), or when our Indian friends put on a mark on their forehead after they performed prayers. today we have a better understanding of each other than in 1969, when our grandfathers had less than 15 years of living together among the different races. economically, we have a firmer standing than our neigbouring countries thanks to natural resources, policies and incentives for investments. we're more confident being Malaysian today than 39 years ago. as such, we have much to lose if we were to give up our multi-facet society.

While this election saw millions of Malaysians opting for an alternative, it is also a bold step of faith putting confidence in some individuals that have no prior political experience up until now. as could be seen from the voting trend, voters were not basing their votes on individuals. rather, their decision was on party basis hence whoever the oppositions had fielded, whether fresh or familiar faces, they won by huge majority. this is not to say that these candidates were not qualified. like the saying goes, "they were at the right place, at the right time."

The journey of a million mile begins with a single step. now that we have taken that first step, it is now up to the opposition leaders to meet the expectations, which will not be an easy task. the three opposition parties have very different manifestos and the gap could be quite wide too. also, they have not had the experience of working together especially in forming a coalition government. hence they face an uphill task of proving to the people that they have the ability to govern and could provide the change that they've promised in their campaign.

Nonetheless, it is a good start that they have the four new states as these would provide them with sufficient exposure and opportunity to iron the differences and work together. they would definitely make some mistakes, some could be stupid ones too but hopefully, they would not disappoint the rakyat too much. for now, it is still yet to be seen how things would work out but the people's confidence shown in this elections would be a motivator for leaders to come together and forgo their differences. if used correctly, such confidence would define the future direction of this country.

As for the ruling party, this outcome served as a reminder that in a democratic society, the people's interest rises above personals and that people are not as ignorant as perceived. in an age when information technology is widely used and information is more vastly available, everyone has the ability to discern and decide for his/her self. society is no longer as easily socialised as before, even when mainstream media is mainly owned by political parties and has a high sensorship level.

it is also not true that masyarakat mudah lupa (society easily forgets) because there are some things that won't slipped our mind, like when a certain politician has a huge bungalow built for millions of ringgit without proper approvals, or when leaders kept raising keris in a political assembly without considering other groups in the country, or when peaceful demonstrations were forbidded for a worthy cause, or when individuals accused of corruptions were not properly dealt with. the phrase "he sounds like me, looks like me but he is not me..." has become one of the best lines for jokes in town.

When leaders decide to listen intensely, they would actually hear what those on the ground are saying and if they paid enough attention, they would know the root of the issues and instead of hiding behind the fences and giving excuses, they would gain more respect if they come face-to-face with the demon himself.

The political landscape has changed. whether the wind would continue blowing would depend on how both sides perform in the next five years. let's not disappoint the very ones that have put the parties into that position.