What next after the Great Protest?

In recent times, it has become a call of duty of sorts for people to take a stand against various negative developments affecting our society. This is, of course, a perfectly natural reaction to various emerging crises that are making the headlines with disquieting frequency.

A prominent example is the movement for clean and fair elections, Bersih 2.0, which has brought together a broad swath of the Malaysian public to demand for integrity in the electoral process and the establishment of a healthy democratic environment.

Another not unrelated example is the call by a group of prominent Malays, known as the G25, for a rational dialogue on the position of Islam in a constitutional democracy.

There are many other such groupings, movements and alliances uniting Malaysians that are responding to the fracturing of society at various levels, which signal the awakening of the people to the numerous fault lines that threaten to rattle the country’s foundations.

It is certainly crucial that we acknowledge the gravity of the problems we are facing as a nation in order that we can collectively overcome these challenges in a cooperative and synergistic manner. Not to identify and highlight these developing issues would be grossly negligent of us, as they would surely become progressively more cancerous and unmanageable.

However, we should take care to avoid the pitfalls along this reformative path in order that the collective energy that is being focused on these pressing challenges does not become mired in protestation.

Here, it is vital to recognise that the process of national transformation requires a shift in approach at each stage of its evolution. Initially, our attention would be directed at developing a critical awareness of the national situation in order to recognise the biggest obstacles that are preventing the people from living a life of fulfilment and well-being. This effort includes spreading the message of reform so that a critical mass of the people is aligned to the renewal agenda.

At this stage, it is common to criticise current institutions, policies and practices and to demand accountability, access to information, respect for civil liberties and human rights, to rectify the problems that are frustrating the people’s aspirations. Often, the steps taken may involve petitions, protests, public debates and other forms of civil engagement, according to the needs of the campaigns and preferences of the movements’ leaders.

But while it is important to protect the democratic space, stand up against wrongs and assert our stake in a progressive future for Malaysia, it should be acknowledged that taking the nation in a new direction entails more concrete work than strenuously objecting to the status quo.

In the next phase, it is necessary for thought leaders, reformists and the intelligentsia in society to envision the new future that would be established. At this point, we must turn off our critical mode of thinking and put our minds to work on imagining the kind of society we wish to live in. Here, there must be a marriage of head and heart in order that the spirit of an inclusive and progressive society is captured in the national vision.

Following on from the vision people, it is the turn of the practical-minded to contribute towards the national renewal. The day then belongs to the doers – those of a creative bent who are inspired to turn thought into deed.

These are the innovators who might start a school where the children are taught to embrace diversity rather than merely tolerate it, for example. Or, they may start social enterprises that fill particular gaps in the social safety net, to cite another instance. If they are in positions of influence, they may implement policies that promote good governance, or support groups that work on addressing specific social objectives, and so on.

It may be argued that a society can achieve reformation more rapidly if it can move smoothly from the first phase, when it engages in raising critical awareness of its inherent weaknesses, to the second and third phases, i.e. the envisioning and capacity building stages, without becoming enmeshed in the resistance mode.

Truth be told, it is easy to become overly attached to the idea that a coalition of vested interests is constantly at work to maintain its hold over the nation’s resources and will thwart any attempt to loosen its control.

Honouring this idea beyond a certain point will only give rise to a siege mentality that will feed the habit of protesting against every instance of abuse of power. The upshot is that objecting can become a self-perpetuating exercise that will draw away our energies from the constructive work of rebuilding the nation.

More so since being at loggerheads with the people in power is quite often a passport to being in the public eye, and may become a role that is habit-forming.

While it is equally valid that silence in the face of wrongdoing is not an option especially when the public interest is at stake, the danger lies in becoming overly focused on protestation.

In order to avoid becoming trapped in the protest mode, then, a critical examination of the national reform programme is vital to undertake from time to time.

Care must be taken to ensure that the creative energies of the current generation are directed at building new, people-centred institutions and creating inclusive new platforms for a better Malaysia to be born.

In the end, we should recognise that protests serve an important but temporary purpose, before they become toxic to the system. – May 9, 2015.

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