THE Selangor assembly has been dissolved and other states are expected to follow suit by the end of the month.  

Although state elections should not directly affect the stability of the federal administration, failure to at least maintain the status quo in six states could call into question the legitimacy of Anwar Ibrahim’s government and the level of support for a unity coalition. 

It is hypocritical of PAS and Bersatu to play the race and religion card while in coalition with Gerakan, which professes to be a multiracial party. But Malaysian politics is so divided along these tired old lines that the voters will almost never figure this out despite Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional’s best efforts to point it out.

PH-BN’s energy could better be spent showcasing its achievements, or in the absence of concrete deliverables, its promising policies with emphasis on the poor, democratisation of subsidies and aid, and widening the crawlspace of freedom. 

They should not allow themselves to be drawn into the conversation PN is trying to force. 

It is counterproductive to dwell on racial and religious rhetoric, which Perikatan Nasional persists in doing despite warnings from the king and rulers to maintain national unity. Not only does such rhetoric keep the discourse elementary and basal, it persuades the electorate to reject rationality and subjects them to unfounded fears.

But more significantly, it keeps us from the most important discussions. We have yet to be able to climb out of recursive discussions that are designed to distract and confuse. 

Why are we talking about things like paying interns and ensuring kids get schoolbooks? 

These aren’t issues for the top rung of government to administer. Micromanaging makes the administration look weak, lazy and ineffectual. 

After a big-bang announcement of huge incoming Chinese investments, the following months of government seemed focused on penalising the top 20% earners while bolstering programmes for the bottom 40% income group. 

Long-term social programmes are only as effective as they are sustainable.  

Ideally, they should be self-funding and terminated after it has achieved their goals. 

It is unsustainable to let them carry on in perpetuity for the sake of optics because people eventually grow dependent on them and they become a political fixture. The government does not dare to remove BR1M now, choosing instead to rebrand it.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is working on tech initiatives that could turn it into the next regional hub, Thailand is gearing up for high-tech agriculture, and Vietnam is beefing up its financial technology sector. 

We are losing precious time and what little competitive advantage we have left to our neighbours. 

PN’s politics isn’t much more progressive, rather the opposite. What happens when the common thread of DAP and PKR-bashing runs out of steam? 

It is one thing to rouse the electorate but quite another to give them direction. Youth will gather for concerts and join illegal street races but that doesn’t mean they are without social or economic purpose. 

At the end of the day, the real stakes aren’t just political power but the future of the country. There needs to be depth to the discussion about Malaysia’s destination. 

Otherwise picking a colour will simply means taking politics at face value. – June 21, 2023.

* 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.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.