By: Natalie
Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (pg 14 )December 31, 2012
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe
For centuries, people have gravitated towards the United States in the
hopes of living in a freer land that accords “life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness” as stated in the Declaration of Independence. This “anyone can make
it” dream sells the belief that hard work pays off and the opportunities are
limitless. It’s not just a dream about being able to afford fancy cars and big
houses, but that success is attainable based on merit and hard work, not based
on birth or standing.
Across the world, along the different latitudes, this concept of the
American Dream has been a great export not because it sounds nice but because
history has proven that it is a country that deliberately champions equality.
Although the US also has a deep record of discrimination and other
failures, but for the most part it is doing a far better job than many other
countries today. The American Dream has unwittingly caused us to also ponder
and battle with the question of what is my dream, for myself in my country and
for my Malaysia?
In the years leading to our 1957 Merdeka, the dream was about uniting
for independence. Today, our dreams are clearly different. No more are we under
the thumb of colonisation, but yet we find that we are under a different
coloured thumb – one of greed and scattered by a hierarchical racial caste
system that also mutates into class discrimination, not just between the races
but also within races too.
The past year has been intense and too fast for many. Most of the year
was spent with the shadow of a looming general election and the vile political
campaigning that comes with it. Unfortunately for us, election dates are kept
somewhat secret and for now, we know for sure it will be in 2013, and what a
year it will be. But what came out of this year was a more intense sense of
ownership and a vociferous rakyat which led to many unsavoury missteps by
politicians reacting instead of understanding and responding proportionately.
Democracy it seems was challenged according to authorities with the call
for election reforms, citing that people cannot strive for a just objective
through illegal means. However, does a peaceful demonstration equate to illegal
means?
The notion that many Malaysians show an amiable indifference was not the
case on April 28 this year. Yet, change has been painfully slow.
Then there was Malaysia’s own green revolution protest of a rare earth
plant setting up house in our country when former bedfellows were rejecting
such an industry. Again, little has been done and critical long term factors
such as waste disposal is only now being discussed, which shows a clear sign
that important issues are not thought through well enough, and the lure of
dollar signs outweighs rational sense. Then there were those student loan
protests, used more for political leverage than for actually addressing the
quality of education, fees structures and loan repayment schemes.
Perhaps these protests are a sign of what the present Malaysian dream
strives for; a society where leaders are elected in a truly democratic manner,
with a clean electoral roll, unbiased media coverage and reforms in postal
voting, the use of indelible ink and very importantly, the strengthening of
institutions.
If we were to analyse the deeper meaning of these protests, we will
realise that this is a means of achieving the Malaysian dream. The mandate for
equal opportunities, improving the education system, parallel access to jobs,
housing, and rescuing the long list of areas tarnished and destroyed by
corruption, starts from electoral reforms. Although there have been some
reforms and transformational targets reached, but yet the achievements of the
past year have fallen short and threaten the Malaysian dream further.
Perhaps the key to spark our fervour in pushing for a better country should
start with thinking about “what if’s”. To simply put it, what if we could have
recovered all the money that has been pocketed by corrupt politicians and their
circles? How those billions alone would have bettered our country’s
infrastructure. Think about that the next time you are stuck in traffic or
waiting for public transport.
In the 1931 book The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams wrote that the
American dream means “a better, richer and happier life for all our citizens of
every rank”. For me personally, the Malaysian dream includes the word change.
Natalie believes in Reinhold Niebuhr’s dictum:
“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to
injustice makes democracy necessary.” Happy Holidays!
Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
