The Malaysian Insight

TODAY is the 365th day of a new normal in Malaysia. Perhaps, it will take longer for Malaysians to get used to it.

See, most of us are still not used to the spectacle before us – a Putrajaya-palace spat, Muslims who believe their rights are being eroded, or a former prime minister in the dock.

Or, the latitude of freedoms, including press and expression, that has made the cacophony of opinions even more diverse, and at times, outrageous, that some long for law and order from the Barisan Nasional era.

All this is due to one fact – Malaysians changed the federal government that had been in power for 55 years. They have been used to the top-down approach for that long, that politicians rule and the people follow without much question.

And if they did ask questions, there’s a raft of laws to shut one up.

But from May 10 last year, we were shown what power is and how it has changed. In any other general election, the winning coalition would be sworn in without any question.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad had to wait hours to be sworn in, and for a moment, it looked like he would have walked out if Istana Negara demurred at carrying out its duty.

And, people were waiting outside Istana Negara to ensure Dr Mahathir was sworn in as prime minister. Never in the history of Malaysia had it become that crucial for the ceremony to take place, and for people to crowd outside the palace to ensure it was done.

It was a new normal from even then. After all, a number of Malaysians do not have a fond memory of the Mahathir years earlier, and that includes royals and ordinary folk.

Then consider this. Would Putrajaya have openly argued or brought up issues with any palace in the last decade or so? The last time there were such issues was during Dr Mahathir’s first run of power – in 1983 and 1993.

Anyone born at that time would be just 26 now, and those at least under 30 would not be aware of the royal run-ins then. At least a generation of Malaysians has never seen such an open spat.

Today, the royals take to social media and get it back as much. Just a year ago, one royal openly supported BN, and to his chagrin, the pact lost. It would be logical to assume the current quarrel has simmered that long.

Also, the mercury keeps rising in racial and religious relations. The majority feel they are a besieged minority, losing their rights and privileges, and that the Pakatan Harapan government is not friendly to Islam.

From anti-discrimination pacts, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Rome Statute, to having a Chinese as finance minister, they have rubbed the majority of Malays the wrong way. Or have they? Is it real discontent or manufactured outrage by the politicians who lost the 14th general election?

Perhaps it is a combination of both, or a new normal that every ethnic group feels disenfranchised in Malaysia. And, they will take to the streets when they feel even more threatened. That is freedom, and Malaysians should cherish it, but not to the point of sparking violence.

Lastly, would it have been possible a year ago for a Malaysian prime minister and his government to lose power?

Or, have a defeated prime minister in the dock – accused of money-laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption? Could we even imagine the wealth – from cash to jewellery and designer handbags – locked up in luxury apartments linked to the prime minister’s family?

But here we are today, seeing Najib Razak going to court and hearing evidence that his personal bank accounts received money from government companies without rhyme or reason. And, the money spent on renovations and political work.

Some Malaysians find this hard to believe, and still think it’s a nightmare that will come to an end with BN back in power soon. That Dr Mahathir does not have the energy or determination to carry out reforms.

The jury is out on all that. But the fact is, we live in a different time now. We live without fear of speaking out and keeping politicians or any elite accountable for what they do.

This is our new normal, to see the establishment come down to earth. It will take time after all these years of bearing the brunt of the excesses of the BN era, but it will be done, and life will return to as normal as it can be. – May 8, 2019.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.