TODAY, we celebrate a journey that began way before September 16, 1963, when four territories combined to form Malaysia – Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak.

In those 56 years until today, Malaysia kicked out Singapore and endured a government that started out on the right note, morphed into a bigger coalition, but ended in ignominy more than a year ago.

Since then, Malaysians were nearly deprived of a government that the majority had voted for. Correction: more than a year later, the majority is still without a government that they voted for. 

In its place is a group of veteran and fresh politicians, who overcame personal and political animosity to challenge the sclerotic, kleptocratic kakistocracy known as Barisan Nasional (BN) and actually win.

And, if you do get to watch the M for Malaysia documentary now playing in a few cinemas across the country, you’ll see desperate people making desperate promises and choices in Malaysia’s 14th general election.

What has that got to do with Malaysia Day? Everything. 

The idea of Malaysia was to bring people from both sides of the South China Sea into a federation for all Malaysians under a government of and by all Malaysians. Along the way, it became a nation for some Malaysians, of and by some Malaysians.

It became an elite system. Of personalities rather than capabilities. Of vested interests rather than for all and sundry. Of race rather than a nation that is more than the sum of all ethnicities in Malaysia.

Malaysians did not throw that out on May 9, 2018. They just threw out a bunch of people who thought they could bully and buy their way into another term. In their place now are politicians with a common cause, used to being critics rather than executives, who can actually turn plans and policies into reality.

Perhaps it will take Pakatan Harapan (PH) some time for this to happen. It will definitely take more than just Dr Mahathir Mohamad to make this happen as soon as possible. Time isn’t on his side but it is on ours.

See, Malaysia is a long journey of turning separate ethnicities into one big family of Malaysians. We need to respect each other, not tolerate each other; we need to give time and space for all of us to grow as much as we can and accept each other as Malaysians without the usual stereotypes we are taught about each other.

Malaysians must know they cannot outsource this country to a government and let them run it to their individual or community expectations, as was done before. There must be give and take, with the rule of law and equity for all as the basis of it.

Some of us might be fed up at their inability to do better or even anything. Some of us might even think this government will be a one-term government because they cannot get it right after 16 months in power.

Yet, they have a five-year mandate. Let them try to fulfil their promises and keep them honest as they do their best. Hold them to account when the ballot boxes open the next time.

Because Malaysia is more than just our own interests or the government. It is all of us, and satisfying everyone will mean compromises and mutual understanding as we all have a different idea of what Malaysia is to us. 

So, let’s celebrate this Malaysia Day, under smoky skies, with the hope that the physical and metaphorical gloom will give way to better and brighter times soon. – September 16, 2019.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.