Still fighting the good fight

Political activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim.

IT was a major victory, but the struggle goes on.

With the change of government after the 14th General Election in May, young Malaysian activists have renewed hope that the country is headed in the right direction.

However, they are also united in wanting to keep an eye to ensure there is progress.

Calvin Ohsey, a Sarawakian interfaith activist, is still in awe after witnessing the country’s peaceful transition of power.

The 27-year-old hopes that with the new government, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) would be restored with institutional reform being carried out.

“My home state of Sarawak is still left behind in terms of progress compared with states in Peninsular Malaysia.

“I hope there will be a better economic plan for all its people,” he says.

Ohsey adds that he hopes to see more religious dialogue to reduce fear, prejudice and discrimination.

Political activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim’s main concerns are that the new government would not be able to fulfil many of its promises, as well as what he sees as the rise of conservatism.

“Are we still going to retain the same system with just a few improvements, or are we really going to do something about the system itself?” he says.

The 30-year-old is also worried about the state of the economy, adding that the main framework remains unchanged, with crony capitalism still at its heart.

“What is our plan? Changing the heads of GLCs (government-linked companies) is far from the ideal of reform,” he says.

Adam Adli also believes that conservative views have become much more entrenched than they were in the past.

However, he is still excited to see the possibility of the country being unified to face future challenges.

“We are in uncharted territory. We do not have the experience of regime change, so it will be a great experience for all of us.

“We will learn a lot from this, and we will gain a lot out of this too,” he says.

He is hoping for a more democratic, progressive and open-minded “New Malaysia” that embraces diversity, and also one where there is more equitable distribution of wealth and zero corruption.

Political discourse should also evolve to bring the country forward instead of dividing the people, Adam Adli says.

“I hope we will be able to make difficult decisions on the fate of this country, without dividing the people.

“Change won’t happen overnight, so it is understandable to see some of us fight through it.

“But I hope our current leaders won’t lose the strong political will needed to bring and make change happen,” he adds, citing as example the repeal of oppressive laws such as the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He also hopes that the rakyat would be more critical regardless of who they supported in GE14.

Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) secretary-general Rahman Hamid, on the other hand, urges patience.

Changes being made by the Pakatan Harapan government may be slow, but they are on-going, he says.

Still, the prominent environmentalist believes that these are not halcyon days for the environment because there is an overall lack of interest from the rakyat.

“Floods, drought, wildlife killings and trafficking happen right in front of our eyes, but we still blame it on Mother Nature.

“This is basic science – where does the water come from? If we keep on logging rampantly, then natural disasters such as floods will continue to happen,” says Rahman.

He also says that there is too little reforestation in Malaysia as there is a lack of support from government agencies or even the public.

The 37-year-old hopes Malaysians would alter their way of thinking and for awareness on environmental issues to grow.

“There should also be greater understanding of the powers of the federal and state governments when it comes to land issues, logging licences, and wildlife and orang asli rights.

“There needs to be tighter and stricter enforcement. The corruption that is happening at every level that involves logging must be eradicated.

“Saving nature starts now, as it is for our future,” says Rahman.

Meanwhile, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist Numan Afifi says that as the country celebrates Malaysia Day, all Malaysians – including those that are marginalised, sidelined and oppressed – should be celebrated too.

“My hope for Malaysia is that we look at our diversity and differences as our strength, not as something which we ‘tolerate’ or something we just happen to put up with just because we are multicultural.

“That is not the attitude or mindset that Malaysians should have.

“Instead, we should embrace our diversity as something we are proud of – not just in terms of race and ethnicity, but also when it comes to people with a different sexuality and identity,” says the 27-year-old.

Numan says the country’s policies and legislation should also be reviewed to determine whether they actually benefit society, and whether they truly reflect the freedoms that are enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“Article 8 of our Constitution says that all Malaysians are equal. So, the changes I would like to see is whether our legal system reflects that spirit of equality because there are two legal systems, where Muslims and non-Muslims are treated differently.

“Is that equal? That’s a question we need to ask,” he says.

Numan also rejects the idea that democracy is a “western export”, adding that democracy existed in this country even before independence.

“For so long, we have lived with pessimism and cynicism. I am excited that we can finally say that we are a democracy. The fact that we managed to change the government, this is something we can build on. It means we are capable of political change.

“Now we just have to dare to imagine, to be braver and go beyond that. This is what I am excited about, the possibilities,” he adds.

Anne Baltazar, who fights for the rights of stateless children in Sabah, is hoping that the government will look into the policies on granting citizenship to stateless children who are born and raised in the country.

She says children and young adults who are stateless or “at-risk of statelessness” have to put their lives and education on hold due to their documentation status, despite having fathers who are citizens.

This is unjust, Baltazar argues, adding that some of these children and young adults are very bright students and have dreams, but applying for citizenship is a long, arduous and frustrating process for them.

“Children or adopted children of at least one parent who is a citizen should be granted citizenship, or should be able to apply for citizenship,” says Baltazar.

She notes that Malaysia is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), so the country should ensure and protect the interest of every child.

Baltazar also believes it is time to strengthen the Child Act 2001.

“We should not pick and choose which children should be protected, and which ones should not, because in a ‘New Malaysia’, all children should be protected and be able to enjoy their childhood,” she says.