Recently, I wrote ‘A Story For Tun‘ regarding the bias and failure of the New Economic Policy from a very personal perspective, and the institutionalised racism in Malaysia.
I gave some examples on why these practices have been engendered. Perhaps I should’ve sent the letter directly to him because I didn’t get a response, though the article was shared thousands of times over several online portals.
Perfection doesn’t exist and so there will never be a perfect government, but as citizens, we must always voice our concerns.
These discussions are important as an act of check and balance so that public servants are in constant reminder that they are here to serve a whole populace and not their personal wants. Personal agendas have always posed a huge threat to good governance, and the recent election is proof on how the rakyat can be effective guardians of their own nation.
What do I expect from the letter you may ask? The big ask is to see race-based economic policies scrapped and all Malaysians have equal rights and opportunities. The small ask Is that all of you keep these conversations going, for even in the minds of those who do not agree, there is a conscience that may speak for positive change in the future.
We should all progress from being keyboard warriors to conversation warriors.
Verbal, mature, unloaded conversations which you enter into on the onset to agree to disagree if necessary, peacefully. That’s why my hubby doesn’t delete Facebook friends who disagree with him. Opposing views play a very important role in the check and balance system.
Once you are prepared to have conversations, you must be prepared for rejections and disagreements. I like to see it as valuable life lessons, and sometimes they are the little sacrifices you make to play your part for ‘Change’.
And therefore, hope is not for the naive. For it was hope that gave us a new government. If you don’t hope, you don’t put into action. And if you don’t put into action, you don’t see change.
It’s not with a single step that change starts, it’s with hope. So, never lose hope. And as uncomfortable as it may seem at first, keep the conversations going.
