Undoing people power fatigue

Today is the first day of work and school for many. For most people, a new year is about new beginnings and new resolutions.

Merely reaching the fourth day of 2016, some are already sick of the news and political commentaries on the current state of politics in the country.

Several friends told me this, “I am sick and tired of politics in Malaysia.”

Well, they are right. Everywhere you look, Malaysians are politically exhausted.

Is it possible to remain politically aware without being in a perpetual state of frustration?

Just turn off the television or stop reading news, some said. But, that’s not the solution. Rather, it is more of an act of selfishness.

Just before 2015 ended, we made it to the international news where Malaysia has been named as one of the world’s six “worst corruption scandals of 2015” by Foreign Policy, together with Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Nigeria, Honduras and Guatemala, Ghanian judges and United Nations General Assembly.

The ongoing infamous 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, the vulnerable economy and frustration of people make restoring democracy’s essence more critical and at the same time, more challenging than ever.

It is a critical moment for our country. We have to admit that Malaysia has a democratic deficit. The same party has ruled the country for close to six decades.

Politicians have long used various repressive laws to silence dissenters and in many instances, intimidate the media and civil society.

How can we salvage our country? How can we reclaim our democracy? How can we regain our voices? These crucial questions have been in focus in recent years.

Unless there’s a snap election, we will have at least two more years before the next general election, which has to be held by 2018.

As we all can apprehend now, democracy is not just about voting in elections. Democracy has a much wider interpretation.

I have argued that people power is needed to “sustain” a country.

In “Political survival at the cost of its people”, I said: “rather than trying to reshape perception domestically and the outside world, our government instead chooses to move towards authoritarian practices to promote political survival at home”.

We now have the scenario of a one-man rule with the “approval” of about half the population. Across the country, confidence in politicians and democratic institutions has collapsed.

Our politicians and parties are now becoming so obsessed with short-term political gain that many no longer care about the future of the country. 

The new generation is suffering from political fatigue and they are disgusted with the country’s political direction. Political fatigue at this stage is totally understandable. It strikes people in many ways.

Many of us are tired of politics. But, whether you like it or not, politics is inseparable from all of us. Some choose to give up out of frustration with the process.

To this end, who are to blame for all these mess? Is it poor political leadership? But, who elected them? What if all these problems cannot be fixed by better leaders? What if all these problems are within the system itself?

While all of this might paint a gloomy picture, it is time for all of us to reflect. We need to recognise that the current system that we have indeed requires major transformation.

I know we all have political fatigue, but we certainly need to avoid “people power fatigue”, a term that being used to refer to a Philippine case.

Most of us witnessed how collective decisions and solidarity could bring us together in the heat of the moment especially during the previous episodes of Bersih rallies and many other events.

By saying that, people power is needed now more than ever to untangle the political mess. – January 4, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.