IT is tempting to go “nothing has changed”, half a year after the euphoria of voting in a new government has all but died down.

The thing is, in quite a few cases, we fixate on a few examples and attempt at comparing it with what happened under Barisan Nasional. For example, we seem to have found our Ahmad Maslan in the form of the new education minister. While black shoes may not be an “important” issue now, it is a low-hanging fruit that can be dealt with quickly. His efforts to place more emphasis on science and language in the syllabus, engage properly with civil societies and other interest groups and find some middle ground on student issues and PTPTN has taken a back seat over his gaffes, some of which are just him repeating suggestions by other groups, or a very small part of a speech given a bit more emphasis over the rest.

In some, the expectation to solve an issue does not match the complexity of the issue, or at least the actual depth of it, as seen from the inside as the sitting government. For example, finding the balance that once existed between conservative Malaysians and liberals. Some may even consider this the battle for the soul of Malaysia. On one hand, you have people who have fought long and hard for globally acceptable human rights – ending child marriage, right to choosing their gender and sexual expression, freedom of expression and so on, who are looking for some sort of validation by the new government, who seemed to have been fighting alongside with them during their opposition days.

On the other – conservatives who have steadily built up their base in the past twenty years, who fear an “erosion” of what they feel are their rights, commonly marketed as their “survival”.

What first needs to be realised, is that not all who voted for Pakatan Harapan, “really” voted for change. Sure, they should have known what was coming if they did, but as the anti-ICERD protests suggests, a sizeable amount may not fully understand the issues brought before them. What they did vote for, was an end to the intolerable excesses of the previous government.

An excuse we often hear, and often find hard to digest, is that the new government is still learning.

But learning from whom?

While the new government may not have all the answers, for the most part, they are demonstrating an openness and willingness to listen that far surpasses anything the previous administration would even dare to claim. Some may see the recent string of backtracking of policy decisions as a sign of weakness, but it could also be seen as a sign of humility in accepting that the people do not like a policy idea and they should come first.

Civil society, who have somewhat quietened down of late, can play its role again. If provocative open statements are feared to be counterproductive given the present jittery narrative, previous diplomatic channels could be used for discussions on the best way to further causes while working towards common goals.

With much of the emphasis now on bread-and-butter issues, the government is sometimes seen to be slow on other reforms, such as the restoration of public institutions, but if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Elections Commission are anything to go by, we are heading on the right track.

A stronger economy also provides a more conducive environment to discuss sensitive issues, with a less emotive people. The time gap would also allow the new government to build trust with their own civil service, GLCs and of course voters who may still need convincing that they have their best interests at heart, using communication channels at their disposal. Pushing too hard on dialogues people do not want to have may only cause them to push back harder. – December 27, 2018.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.