Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

IT’S almost a ritual that the mantra of race and religion has been chanted by certain ethnic-based parties in the run-up to general elections in Malaysia over the years.

It would be the case for the coming 15th general election as well, as predicted by certain political observers recently.

Except that such mantra is likely to be louder particularly for the three Malay-based parties of Umno, PAS and Bersatu that vie for the same Malay constituencies.

Umno and Perikatan Nasional, particularly PAS and Bersatu in the pact, would need to publicly display their mettle and tenacity in the race to supposedly defend the Malay race and Islam on the crowded electoral ground.

Incidentally, you may be curious to ask at this juncture of the nation’s history, defending the race and religion against who – from among the diverse groups in our society?

Anyway, there’s a risk involved in being united against a “common enemy”, be it a bogeyman or otherwise, as you may not necessarily know who your friends really are, especially if they are cobbled together for the mere goal of winning an electoral contest – and not on the basis of a shared political philosophy. The Pakatan Harapan experience may be instructive.

It is disturbing and sad if this scenario (race and religion politics) materialises again, especially if the race-religion couplet drowns out other more important issues confronting the country in the wake of the menacing Covid-19 pandemic.

If anything, such crass exploitation of race and religion suggests moral and political bankruptcy and intellectual laziness of the parties concerned.

For, human energies and available resources should instead be mobilised to help resuscitate the battered economy if the general welfare of ordinary Malaysians is to be rightly prioritised.

Those who have lost jobs, been reduced to poverty and to worry about putting food on the table almost on a daily basis do not have the luxury of time, let alone other resources, to play with such divisive politics as indulged by the political elite.

If Malaysians, particularly politicians, could put aside temporarily from their minds the issue of race and religion, they would realise that the tasks ahead of us in (re-) building the nation in the post-pandemic phase are urgent and challenging.

The pandemic has laid bare the harsh realities of Malaysian life. For one thing, the gap between the rich and the poor is yawning; this should be an opportune moment for politicians concerned to think of strategies to seriously address poverty and other forms of economic hardship across the board, irrespective of ethnic origins and regions.

As a way of helping the vulnerable, politicians and the government should look into ways of providing cheap public housing as well as free healthcare, both of which are basic necessities.

Homelessness is no longer an isolated case while the long queue for treatment at public hospitals has become endless. There are people who have been made homeless by banks that auctioned off their houses owing to loan defaults.

Small and medium enterprises that have been badly affected by the pandemic would need more government assistance as they are a good source of employment for the local communities.

Basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, piped water and internet coverage, must reach all parts of the country, particularly large sections of the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the peninsula.

Climbing up trees to get internet connectivity, for example, should be a thing of the past for a country that has been talking about the importance of IR4.0 technology.

Nor should parts of Kelantan still receive tea-coloured piped water or no piped water at all as currently experienced particularly by people in and around Kota Bharu, while, in contrast, clean water is easily available for car wash in the Klang Valley.

If food and water security runs the risk of being threatened by environmental destruction and climate change, then appropriate measures must be consciously taken by the authorities to prevent that from happening. Unfettered deforestation must be arrested by environmental-friendly policies and laws.

The agricultural sector needs encouragement and assistance from the government so that in the long run the country would be self-sufficient to a large extent in terms of availability of vegetables and fruits, among other agricultural produce.

Politicians, particularly those in the government, should strive to move away from private-vehicle ownership to an efficient public transport system as a policy to curb unwarranted air pollution.

This policy should help to lessen our carbon footprint and road congestion, as well as car or motorcycle loans that eat into incomes of particularly the lower M40 and segments of B40 categories of Malaysians.

These are some of the things that should occupy the minds of politicians and help them to move forward, instead of relentlessly harping on race and religion in a toxic fashion during and after a general election.

Besides, it’s useful for such parties and politicians to be mindful that if they want to win power with broad-based support, it would pay to be inclusive and have a broader vision of the nation. Otherwise, their support base would be confined to certain belts.

It is also beneficial to remember that elected representatives are to serve the needs of Malaysians, irrespective of race and religion, in the latter’s collective desire to have a progressive, united, democratic and prosperous nation. – April 13, 2021.