Asia Times: Politicians pay attention as Malaysians speak up



	October 06, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

Politicians pay attention as Malaysians speak up
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Malaysia - In most countries, the run-up to an election means listening to endless speeches by politicians. Here in Malaysia, however, the public is doing most of the talking as the country gears up for what is shaping up to be a closely contested general election.

Under the law, Malaysia has to hold a general election by next year. Although the exact date has still to be set, it is already clear that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition will be facing a strong challenge for the first time in decades, and that the fight for every vote will be fierce .

The situation is being mined for all its worth by astute citizens' groups and non-government organizations. Indeed, with officials and politicians suddenly attentive, many groups have been busy writing petitions and manifestos that cover almost every aspect of political and social life, including health care, minority rights and the relationship between the ruler and the ruled.

''In a sense, the run-up to general elections is the only time when Malaysian politicians really respond to the electorate,'' says political scientist Andrew Aeria. But he says there are twists this time. One is that the country's major opposition parties are uniting in a new Alternative Front that is determined to pose a real challenge to the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has held power for the past 18 years.

Another twist, says Aeria, is the growing assertiveness among certain sectors of the once timid Malaysian public. ''Because the government has not been receptive to common democratic demands during its tenure, it suddenly finds itself vulnerable and all these groups know that it is vulnerable. This is the only time they can hope to get what they want.''

Some groups have already had their demands met. One of them is the Penang-based Citizen's Health Initiative (CHI), a loose network of some 55 concerned groups. After its formation in March last year, CHI marshaled intense public pressure on the government to stop the corporatization of state-run general hospitals. This was followed by a petition launched in May and addressed to the health minister.

Last August, the CHI sent out a letter to all political parties spelling out its demands. A week later, the cabinet decided that government hospitals would not be corporatized.

Aeria warns that there is no guarantee that such promises will be honored once the election is over. But there seems to be no stopping a public eager to make its voice heard while officials and politicians appear willing to listen.

Also launched in May, for example, was the Women's Agenda for Changes, which seeks to raise awareness of the position of women in Malaysia and strengthen their political participation to promote gender equality and a just, democratic society. Activists hope to use the Women's Agenda, already endorsed by about 100 groups, to lobby the government and politicians to address their concerns in their party manifestos and policy making.

Last July 11, meanwhile, some 3,000 Indian Malaysians from all over the country packed a community hall to demand justice and fair play for the community, which makes up eight percent of the country's 22 million population. Their petition called for greater representation and more opportunities for ethnic Indians to take part fully in politics, business and education, and to have more access to affordable housing.

Also included in their demands was a Minorities Protection Act and Commission, an Equal Opportunities Employment Commission, as well as Tamil language-medium schools fully sponsored by the government.

Influential Chinese clan associations, societies and guilds, for their part, have drawn up their own election wish list that has already been endorsed by 1,848 groups. The ethnic Chinese groups and guilds want equal treatment of all races, more Chinese schools, a review of privatization projects, greater press freedom, a curb on corruption, the restoration of people's confidence in the police, and the repeal of the Internal Security Act.

The opposition Democratic Action Party was among the first to endorse the petition of the Chinese community. So far, three Chinese-based parties in the ruling coalition - the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Gerakan and the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) - have said they accept the 17-point proposal.

Just last month, 17 trade unions formed the Coalition of Concerned Trade Unions in Malaysia. The group has since submitted a manifesto to all political parties and coalitions for endorsement. The manifesto calls for the right to organize, access to comprehensive social security, and a 40-hour five-day week with a minimum wage of 900 ringgit ($237) for all workers.

It also stresses the need for an effective dispute settlement mechanism, a commitment to tripartism that recognizes labor and capital as social partners in the nation's development, and the restoration of justice and democracy in the country.

But it is perhaps a declaration entitled ''People Are the Boss'' that best captures the sentiments of a significant segment of the Malaysian electorate at the moment. Wong Chin Huat is the organizer of the ''People'' campaign that began on the Internet in August. He describes the declaration as a non-partisan political statement seeking to ''to clarify the relationship between the government and the people in a democratic state in plain business language''.

The three-page declaration primarily calls on voters to reject political parties or politicians who dare to threaten them. But it also urges Malaysians to insist on their rights and dignity. ''Whichever party you may support,'' it says, ''this message has to be communicated to the political parties and politicians loud and clear - 'people are the boss'. Politicians re-elected should remember that the people do not owe them any favors but instead they owe the people favors.''

(Inter Press Service)

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©1999 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd.