Towards an open society

By Oon Yeoh & Rash Behari Bhattacharjee

In the countdown to the annual Umno General Assembly, calls to preserve the dignity of the Malays are a constant refrain. This is not at all surprising, since the party exists to champion the rights of the Malays, and politicians love to assume the role of heroic leadership on any given day.

In the national context, however, the call of communalism should be superseded by an appeal to the spirit of national unity, since Malaysia today is home to a whole range of communities. Unfortunately, some prominent politicians continue to cling to a historical situation that divides the nation into separate cultural and religious spheres of existence.

Over the weekend, it was the voice of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that was heard singing the race song, heralding the coming Umno pageantry. As poignant as that tune may be, it rests uncomfortably with an elder statesman who has held the world’s attention with his powerful views on a range of international issues.

In an address that harked back to his early political life in the 1960s, he warned the right-wing Malay group Perkasa that the Malays were on the verge of losing their political power.

He lamented the fact that this country is no longer referred to as Tanah Melayu. “In the past, maybe, but not now,” he said. “Now, Malaysia belongs to Malaysians, not the Malays. The willingness of the Malays to share this country is not appreciated at all.”

These words have a potent effect on stirring communal sentiment and are in a way, only to be expected in the days leading to the Umno General Assembly this week.

In the new Malaysia that is emerging, however, they probably have a diminishing appeal among Malays who want to hear a message that can resonate with their fellow citizens of all communities. Most of the people, it may be said, have learnt not to respond to such rhetoric.

Has Mahathir’s salvo set the tone and mood of this year’s meeting? Or will Umno take a more moderate stance after taking note of the voters’ mood in the March 8 general election last year?

Whatever the answer, sensible people must be hoping that the public will be spared a repeat of the spectacle in 2006 when delegates on live TV talked about using the keris, bathing it in blood and running amok.

The contenders for top Umno positions may however have other views. That Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo, who has established himself as the most ultra of the three candidates for the Umno Youth chief post, is the frontrunner indicates that delegates are anxious to convince the people that the party is still a force to contend with.

Then there is word that Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, the outgoing Umno Youth chief, will be raising the keris again – this time, unsheathed. If true, there will likely be much that other BN component parties will make of it. Whether this contestation will be productive is a big question.

Academician Bridget Welsh makes a valid point about a political culture that is in the midst of transformational change: “The hardline approach is what’s familiar. The opening-up approach is what’s unknown and it would take bravery."