I have a dream that my home country - Malaysia will one day become a place where people are treated as assets and differences as the work of nature.
I have a dream that my people are talking to each other about their shared future.
I have a dream that all Malaysians are allowed to pursue for the same opportunities in education, jobs, living spaces et cetera.
I wonder what have to be done. To what degree do we need to endeavour to ever stand a chance of achieving that in Malaysia, a multicultural country with a flawed democracy? Do people want that?
The Mortifying Side of Malaysia
Inequalities are in every corner of Malaysia. The quota system in education is a classic example of structural inequality in Malaysia. There are also many people who are not given equal opportunities in jobs and living spaces because of their ethnicities. These are not something Malaysians are proud of, so non-Malaysians would seldom hear about them in cross-national gatherings. Malaysians are probably busy buttering up Malaysia's image with its diverse cuisines. Malaysians love food.
To change is no easy task as there are many blockers: outdated mindsets, racism, political instabilities, inaction, even the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
Quite frankly, most Malaysians don't even believe there is a solution. There are too many issues to solve and too little insights about where to start.
A Barrage of Questions
What if something as unequal-sounding as the quota system is not the cause of inequalities but the effect of it? What if people and cultures are genuinely different? What if the seemingly overgeneralization about races have some degree of truths to them? If that is true, how do we deal with that?
Most Malaysians are religious. What are the roles of religions and values in the progress of the country?
Talent loss is a huge problem in Malaysia. Is it caused by inequalities, foreign policies, bureaucracy, corruption or something else? Which ones should we resolve first?
What does it take to unite? Not momentarily, but in the long term. What does it take to get people to stand up for the needed and fight for the right things? Better education, strong leaders, foreign pressure, unified language, sheer luck or maybe a mix of everything?
What is the right question to ask?
As I said, there are many questions to be solved. The question is which one to solve first. Most people would jump to the conclusions but I refuse to do so.
The Evil of Identity Politics
Just so you know, Malaysians have to deal with identity politics throughout the history of Malaysia. For that reason, people's views are very polar and they normally do not even try to debate about politics as it could trigger tensions amongst different ethnic groups.
No debates, no consensus, and the nation remains segregated. It is not hard to see why Malaysians lacks a clear sense of direction to move forward as a nation.
I think the cause to this massive hurdle to Malaysia's progress is the lack of mutual constructive conversations and understanding amongst communities, which in turn causes the segregated political demographics in Malaysia.
But you see, this is again just another unvalidated assumption. Not very reliable.
A Visible Solution
There is ONE solution that does not require conforming to assumptions or jumping to the conclusions. An open dialogue that is highly-visible and transparent.
The good thing about having an open dialogue is that even if our initial assumptions about what went wrong were wrong, the new information we get from the public can help us work out what matters and what does not.
In that sense, accurate information about where people stand is more important than solutions at the moment. Only with accurate information a clear sense of direction can form, and impactful solutions follow.
Amongst all the change makers out there, I would like to point out that social enterprises have the power to awaken the people of Malaysia. I truly believe that the most impactful solutions will come from those capable of giving clear sense of direction to Malaysians. They are the keys to solving Malaysia's toughest issues.
--
My dream sure is a tough one, but I do not believe that it is impossible to realise. I shall one day become part of the solution in the near future, and you shall too, my fellow Malaysians. To all change makers out there, keep dreaming and hustling for that your contributions might one day change a country and the world.
Peace out.
--
In one of my previous blog posts, I discussed about how cathedral thinking propels change makers around the world forward on seemingly bleak landscapes. Click the link below to check it out! https://www.yewjunying.com/post/the-power-of-cathedral-thinking
Comments