Having the audacity to hope again

We must engage with current issues and we must fight hatred with kindness and compassion.

WHEN Bersih announced that they would hold the fifth instalment of the Bersih rally today, a part of me was relieved.

This was purely for selfish reasons, as I had been planning for the past year to hold an event which I hoped would remind Malaysians that there is strength in diversity and that Malaysia is what we ourselves make it to be, regardless of what politicians and some religious leaders tell us.

The event was held last week, thankfully allowing it not to clash with Bersih. I wish to share two comments on the event that are highlights for me.

The first came from an American woman, who was devastated that their President-elect Donald Trump is a misogynist and a racist, who told me that “in times like these, we need to be together, among beautiful people and beautiful things; to remind ourselves that there are bigger things than the politics (of hate)”.

The second actually happened when I visited The Star’s executive editor, Soo Ewe Jin. He could not attend the event due to health complications but I visited him wearing my kebaya and sarong, and showed him photos from the event.

He commented that he grew up watching the women around him in kebaya and sarong. That Malaysia was more “together” back then.

Following the news the past fortnight filled me with anxiety and concern about what the world is turning into.

While I do not have children, I do feel responsible for the kind of future that we are leaving for our future generations. More importantly, would I want to grow old in such a world?

Trump’s win in the United States demonstrated that for elections to be won, hatemongering, intolerance, unsavoury comments about women and violence are acceptable.

For voters to have chosen such a man as their leader and force upon the rest of us such a man as the leader of the free world is beyond me.

Closer to home, I had to reflect on the current events involving the Red Shirts movement. While I am for democracy and freedom of expression, the actions of the Red Shirts should be dealt with firmly by the police following existing laws.

There are similarities between the Trump campaign and what is propagated to be the Red Shirts movement. Both campaigns have no respect for women, both not only allow but encourage violence and hate, and both campaigns can be succinctly summarised according to one of the famous lines from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, “all (animals) are equal, but some are more equal than others”.

I think I am not alone in wanting a harmonious Malaysia and a country where I can live the best life I can, professionally and personally, and to be allowed to just be and live my life the way I want to. I have no political ambition, and yet I also do not believe that ignorance is bliss in this matter.

When we turn a blind eye to harassment (be it “misconstrued” comments), threats of violence (be it only silat demonstrations) and hatemongering (despite the parties crying foul and claiming that the media misquoted them) we are paving the way for such hatred to be allowed and propagated.

As a democracy, Malaysians enjoy the privilege to make our own decisions – whether to don a yellow, red, or black t-shirt, to join or abstain from the rallies or to simply be keyboard warriors.

We enjoy the privilege to completely ignore the current issues in the country and simply binge-watch episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix today and on other days.

Yet while enjoying such privileges, we must reflect on what has allowed us that privilege in the first place. Even if we are disenchanted by rallies, come the next election, we must cast our vote.

In order to be informed voters, we must engage ourselves with current issues and policies affecting our lives. We have to, in one way or another, be involved.

Whether we are for yellow or red (or black), we must live our lives with integrity. If we do not believe in hate, we must encourage love and compassion in our daily lives through simple yet profound acts.

When we feel hopeless, we must reminisce on the ideals that we believe in, in order to have the audacity to hope again. Personally, I believe in a Malaysia (and a world) that is inclusive, just and progressive.

I pray that nothing untoward will happen today. Yet, just like my American friends, even if hate “wins” – I will fight back the only way I know how, that is with kindness and compassion.

I still believe in Malaysia, and from what I witnessed last Saturday at #bringbackthekebaya – we are still very much Malaysians at heart.

I feel that what I have experienced personally acts like a vaccine against such hatred, sexism and racism that admittedly do exist in our country and the world.

In the words of the late Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.

The Star’s executive editor, Soo Ewe Jin, returned home to God on Thursday. His positive and loving spirit will live on. May he rest in peace.

Lyana Khairuddin is an academic with a local public university who runs to keep being optimistic about Malaysia. The views expressed here are entirely her own.