THIS is a big week for Malaysia. Muslims start fasting today from dawn to dusk for 30 days, refraining from having food and drinks but inevitably boosting the local economy by buying more at the Ramadan bazaars. 

This week also sees the first year anniversary of the May 9 elections that threw out Barisan Nasional and brought in Pakatan Harapan to power. The consensus is their report card is mixed, even for those who cheered them to Putrajaya. 

Also, it’s the 50th anniversary of the May 13 race riots, an incident that has always been used to remind Malaysians who should keep power and who should just remain quiet. Fortunately, that ended last May 9.

These three events share the same week this year and worthy for us to reflect how far we have matured as a nation.

For example, Ramadan. More Malaysians of other faiths have shared the fasting from dawn to dusk. Yet, some see as them as interlopers, just infidels who will not be entitled to Heaven. That just loses one of the central reasons for fasting in Ramadan. 

Fasting during Ramadan is more than just restraint in consumption of food, drinks, sex and such. It’s about what we produce, too – hate, slander, gossip, enmity and all things considered evil in civilised societies. 

It is a month of love, charity and compassion for fellow humans of all races and creed. It’s lessons in humility and kindness – sharing the vicissitudes and boon of life. Surely all faiths teach that, more so for People of the Book. 

Could and would Muslims show the way for this rather than sulk about being threatened over entitlements that do not exist in Islam? Perhaps we’re just scratching the surface of our faith. 

In that sense, this May 9 is too soon to judge PH for what it promised to do if it won the polls. Its campaign centred on the wrongdoings of Najib Razak during his time in power. 

He’s out now and in the dock with more than 40 charges. Yet he’s free to comment and defend himself. Could this have happened during his time in power? Could we have as many anti-government protests when he ruled? 

Instead, we have more scandals being dug up by a government of politicians old and new to administration. A government of different personalities and philosophies working together for the first time.

Yes, pressure them on unfulfilled promises for the first year in power, keep them accountable for mistakes and missteps but keep in mind the wider picture of Malaysia, a nation of different levels of development and fortunes. The poor remain, no matter the skyscrapers and roads, rails and airports that dot the landscape. 

This new Mahathir government’s priority must remain the economy and education, for all. Equity and equality, too. 

And to put it in context, their time in power is just 18 minutes of a full 90-minute football match. They have time to do better. 

Just as we as a nation have matured beyond the terrible events of May 13, 1969. Race riots, sparked by electoral losses and wins that got bloody as rampaging mobs felt threatened and slaughtered their fellow Malaysians of different ethnicities. 

Some days, it feels like we are slipping back to those days. Some days, people remind us to keep in line or we’ll go back to those days. 

No. We won’t. We can’t. This is a country for all Malaysians, not just the entitled few due to position, privilege, race, gender and faith. 

Malaysia functions better if Malaysians work together as Malaysians and not as racial or religious silos. We need to know this and not bow down or follow those who want to tear us apart with fanaticism and jingoism. 

We can do better than that, as we must. Or the Malaysia we know that stretches from Perlis in the north to Johor in the south and Sabah in the east is just a collection of states at odds with each other. 

We’re not. We’re Malaysians who have made a change because we want better. And better is only possible if we work together. 

Have a blessed Ramadan. – May 6, 2019.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.