No matter the outcome of the US presidential election, Barack Obamas name has made it into the annals of history. Walking up to the podium at the Democratic convention in Denver as the presidential candidate, he must have shared the popular sentiment that the accompanying thunderous applause signified a faith in the promise of new political norms.
Obamas oratory skills have defined much of the way people view him. On my last count, his acceptance in Denver had been viewed over 600,000 times on YouTube alone.
Obamas promises of change and departure from the "old politics" resonate with young American voters who see him as a public figure who understands their concerns and aspirations. But at 47, he would be considered very young in Malaysia's political context one imagines that men and women his age would be, at best, a Cabinet member. It would appear that age is not so much a criteria as a necessity in Malaysian politics; it is further unfortunate that political conventions in Malaysia uncontestingly equate experience with age.
The irony is that the Malaysian citizenry is young, with the last general election seeing voters under the age of 40 accounting for approximately 40 per cent of the electorate.
Latest figures indicate that the percentage of young voters in the next general election would increase substantially. Yet, this segment remains very much under-represented at the national level; it would be difficult, I suspect, for a casual political observer to name just 10 under-40 Members of Parliament off the cuff.
A qualification is called for here. Just as old is not always gold, the presence of young politicians on the national scene does not guarantee the representation of voices and sentiments of Malaysias Generations X and Y. It would be insulting to our youth for us to assume that we could have a young politician with old ideals and have him or her appeal broadly to that section of the electorate. In fact, I was quietly taken aback when a young friend described a minister whom I thought was looked upon as youthful and vibrant as part of the old guard.
The answer could be as simple as one of a supply problem. In my line of work, I encounter many aspiring potentials with strong interest in politics. They have a very good grasp of political theory and are well versed in the art of policy making bringing a fresh outlook that could significantly contribute to nation building. Armed with large dosages of desire and the willingness to work hard, they should, in an ideal world, be able to climb the political hierarchy of any party with great ease.
But the reality is very different. These aspiring young men and women generally fall into two groups.
The first places idealism among the top motivating elements for participation in the cut-throat world of politics. After spending some time in the system, they often turn their back on active participation and end up either disillusioned or seek solace in becoming a member of the silent majority.
Members of the second group usually succumb to the demands of politics and gradually morph into beings that are a shadow of their once-selves.
Thus if we accept the reality of Malaysian politics as it is today that the demands for a successful career in politics include the ability to "bend" ones ideals we certainly need to construct a new brand of politics to make sure these young potential leaders remain engaged with their ideals intact. In charting this new reality, there must be the courage and the will to appoint more members of civil society young leaders with a different set of skills and beliefs in the decision-making level of our political parties.
In the presence of obvious talent and potential, erstwhile taboos must be set aside. Now, more than ever, the older generation must learn to accept that our youth simply do not conform to traditional political stereotypes.
Obama will feature on the Democratic ticket this November because somehow, somewhere, taboos were broken at different stages of his relatively brief political career.
Malaysias Obama is somewhere out there, yearning for his or her space. The onus is on us to create it.
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
15.9.08
In The Ring > Our country – through their eyes...
In a few weeks, my grandfather will cross the 90 year mark. I marvel at the potential magnitude of nostalgia that could run through Atoks mind as he blows the many candles on his cake. Atoks birthday is a yearly reminder of the fact that he, my father and I are born exactly 30 years apart.
Of different generations and of different times, I often reflect on how each of us views this birth country of ours. Simply put, what holds true for Atok might not be the case with my father, and be completely alien to me. In the context of our 51-year-old nation, the fragmented manner in which we fathom our Malaya-Malaysia results in different concepts of national identity.
Atok was born in 1918, the year the First World War ended and post-Pangkor Treaty making him familiar with the realities of colonialism. At the beginning of World War II, he had just become an adult and was beginning to learn more about the Japanese invasion. By the time the foreign soldiers landed in Kota Baru, Atok was a husband with obligations, which makes me wonder how he found the courage and strength to brave a Malaya defined by a grave sense of uncertainty.
He must have asked himself in his quiet moment if his country would ever escape from the clutches of foreign control and exist as a sovereign nation. Questions like this, I am sure, plagued him.
On the other hand, my father was born in the pre-Independence era shadowed by instability owing to guerrilla operations that defined the Malayan Emergency. My father was 10 years old when the Merdeka Mission returned with success. Naturally, he wouldn't be able to relate to the struggle for Independence as much as Atok.
I hasten to speculate that through my fathers adult eyes, his real Malaysian experience was the tragedy of May 13 and the ensuing hope in the shape of the New Economic Policy. Overcoming the rubble and the hurt, he saw real opportunities opened up with the governments efforts to eradicate poverty, and more avenues for Bumiputeras to move up the economic value chain. The seeds of the Bumiputra middle class were sown, where solutions were laid out to correct the failures of colonialism.
For me, adulthood was seen in the context of the Asian Financial Crisis. I recall vividly the uncertainty of a final year law student about the prospect of Malaysias future. When the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchanges composite index plummeted, I questioned Malaysia's ability to overcome this shock. Would we ever be the same again? Could we regain our competitiveness in this increasingly globalised world?
A year later, I witnessed the height of the Reformasi movement where people, for the first time in the country's history since I was born, voiced out their collective grievances against the administration of the day. Coupled with the financial crisis, it was a period mired with confusion, uncertainty and a general feeling of discontent.
However, these worrying undertones offered a different exterior. Recovering from the crippling crisis, we saw a period of vast infrastructure development. The spanking new KLIA, majestic skyscrapers and highways signified the coming of the information age we are proud to be beneficiaries of today.
The conclusion though, remains the same: every single time we are faced with a challenge, the country survives, coming out stronger. But are we stronger as a nation? Divorcing ourselves from the cosmetics that define citizenship, are we truly one? Why is race still a divisive issue? These are the hard questions that even the greatest Malaysian minds today cant address.
The greatest fear I have is that when my son welcomes adulthood, looking out on the horizon of the country from the tinted window of his auto-pilot flying car, he finds we are nowhere closer to finding the answers to living together as Malaysians of various races and culture.
I know that Atok secretly wonders in amazement at the technological advances that now defines Kuala Lumpur but through the same eyes, he must wonder why certain things cannot change or have, in fact, become worse with time.
Of different generations and of different times, I often reflect on how each of us views this birth country of ours. Simply put, what holds true for Atok might not be the case with my father, and be completely alien to me. In the context of our 51-year-old nation, the fragmented manner in which we fathom our Malaya-Malaysia results in different concepts of national identity.
Atok was born in 1918, the year the First World War ended and post-Pangkor Treaty making him familiar with the realities of colonialism. At the beginning of World War II, he had just become an adult and was beginning to learn more about the Japanese invasion. By the time the foreign soldiers landed in Kota Baru, Atok was a husband with obligations, which makes me wonder how he found the courage and strength to brave a Malaya defined by a grave sense of uncertainty.
He must have asked himself in his quiet moment if his country would ever escape from the clutches of foreign control and exist as a sovereign nation. Questions like this, I am sure, plagued him.
On the other hand, my father was born in the pre-Independence era shadowed by instability owing to guerrilla operations that defined the Malayan Emergency. My father was 10 years old when the Merdeka Mission returned with success. Naturally, he wouldn't be able to relate to the struggle for Independence as much as Atok.
I hasten to speculate that through my fathers adult eyes, his real Malaysian experience was the tragedy of May 13 and the ensuing hope in the shape of the New Economic Policy. Overcoming the rubble and the hurt, he saw real opportunities opened up with the governments efforts to eradicate poverty, and more avenues for Bumiputeras to move up the economic value chain. The seeds of the Bumiputra middle class were sown, where solutions were laid out to correct the failures of colonialism.
For me, adulthood was seen in the context of the Asian Financial Crisis. I recall vividly the uncertainty of a final year law student about the prospect of Malaysias future. When the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchanges composite index plummeted, I questioned Malaysia's ability to overcome this shock. Would we ever be the same again? Could we regain our competitiveness in this increasingly globalised world?
A year later, I witnessed the height of the Reformasi movement where people, for the first time in the country's history since I was born, voiced out their collective grievances against the administration of the day. Coupled with the financial crisis, it was a period mired with confusion, uncertainty and a general feeling of discontent.
However, these worrying undertones offered a different exterior. Recovering from the crippling crisis, we saw a period of vast infrastructure development. The spanking new KLIA, majestic skyscrapers and highways signified the coming of the information age we are proud to be beneficiaries of today.
The conclusion though, remains the same: every single time we are faced with a challenge, the country survives, coming out stronger. But are we stronger as a nation? Divorcing ourselves from the cosmetics that define citizenship, are we truly one? Why is race still a divisive issue? These are the hard questions that even the greatest Malaysian minds today cant address.
The greatest fear I have is that when my son welcomes adulthood, looking out on the horizon of the country from the tinted window of his auto-pilot flying car, he finds we are nowhere closer to finding the answers to living together as Malaysians of various races and culture.
I know that Atok secretly wonders in amazement at the technological advances that now defines Kuala Lumpur but through the same eyes, he must wonder why certain things cannot change or have, in fact, become worse with time.
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