Malaysian Political Language Needs To Change

The language which dominates the Malaysian political discourse needs to undergo a serious change. Like the old drama reruns on RTM, the discourse keeps going back and forth between religion and race. This type of discourse is a big turnoff especially when the whole world, including Malaysia, is facing a far more serious threat than the PAS-UMNO unity talk or the demanding non-Malays - the economy.

Low class politicians such as Ibrahim Ali have continued to stir up racial sentiments among the Malays by trying to play up their insecurity. It is interesting that he was allowed to get away with his view without being taken to task. In his worldview, the Malay community needs to be protected against other races so that their political and economic rights will not be diminished.

The main threat to the Malays is not the other races but their own complacency and insecurity. Leaders of the community, such as Ibrahim, should try to answer why there were Malays who had survived the fiercest competition outside of Malaysia and many of them had thrived.

The most important thing these leaders should do is to inspire and encourage young Malays to face off any global challenges and become world beaters. There is nothing that cannot be achieved if there is a will and a persistent heart. A lazy and demotivated Chinese boy is definitely no better than a hardworking and persistent Malay boy.

The point is it is not about race. It will do Malaysia good if our political language can be reviewed and reconstructed to promote a less divided and less racialised nation. What the government should do is to quickly recognize and promote the talents of the its people, especially the youths.

Recently, I had organised a B-boy (Breakout) extreme dance comedy theatre. In conjunction with the event, we had organised a B-boy Dance Competition at the Sunway Pyramid mall. I was taken aback by the amount of talents we had discovered in the competition. Malaysian youths can dance!

This discovery is only a tip of the iceberg. I am sure there are many more talented youths around who are awaiting the right platform to showcase their skills and ability. Why aren't they be given that platform?

Politicians and political parties continue to disappoint when comes to connecting with the youths. Their political language simply does not resonate with the youths. Unsurprisingly, the Malaysian youths are keeping their distance away from political parties and politicians.

Malaysia is facing a serious gap between the political leaders and its young society. Hence, politicians think that politics is all about politicking. As a result, the people became mere spectators and were given very limited access to the feedback and governance processes. Politicians continue do what they think is good for the society.

The politician-know-best attitude is the root cause of many scandals and issues in the country. This arrogance is evident. Most of the ruling politicians do not feel accountable to the people to do a good job and to stay out of controversy.

Power breeds arrogance. People, I have said this again and again. It is up to us to tell the politicians that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!