I’m writing a reply to Bilahari Kausikan, the Honorary Ambassador of Singapore. In his recent column , he pointedly mentioned that the Malaysian ethnic Chinese community was delusional for believing that they can undo Malay dominance in politics. I would like to counter that argument from a Malaysian and Malay perspective.

The truth is that what we have in Malaysia is not a Malay dominance in politics because to say so is to discredit that the government coalition of parties is made up of multiple ethnicities including those in Sabah and Sarawak, and even including those in the ethnic Chinese community.

Of course, they may seem to be minorities in this current government through population census comparison, much similar to the population of Singapore Malays voted into your parliament.

As you have pointed out the May 13, 1969, incident as being all but forgotten, the truth is that it is not the ethnic Chinese who have done so but more so the Malays in Malaysia. But then again, we can be forgiven since we all forget easily.

While Malaysians have constantly preached not wanting an ethnic clash, it seems that it is the Malay community led by instigators that are wanting to trigger it, not the Chinese.

But more so, Mr Ambassador, what you omit to point out or mention is the fact that this so-called delusion is merely in the young ethnic Chinese Malaysians, which is wrong. Insofar as the past two elections have shown, it is the young, urban, middle class Malay community that has shifted allegiances.

As such, it is not merely delusional Chinese Malaysians, but delusional urban Malaysians regardless of ethnicity or race.

I would know this because areas of urban Malay majorities are also supporting this so-called delusion if you look at the state capitols in the entirety of Malaysia all being won by opposition lawmakers. Even in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state with a Malay majority of over 90 percent, people decided to vote for a lawmaker that works with the current Chinese ethnic political party DAP you mentioned.

You may also call me a supporter of that delusion since I voted for these lawmakers.

In Malaysia where this government lost the majority of votes but still won to form a government, it is a clear sign that most Malaysians support this same delusion.

While I do agree with you that having an ethnic split in government to the point of mere token ethnic candidates in government versus an ethnic majority opposition is bad, this is where the opposition has to work and quite frankly, is working.

Just yesterday the Malaysian Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it was now hard for the government coalition to win youth votes. He did not bother specifying race, and as such it can be said that this is a fact for all ethnicities in Malaysia, not just the Chinese.

Checks and balances are from the people

Even then, the checks and balances in states run by the coalition including the DAP are from the people.

In Penang, we saw how animal activists were free to criticise the state government's decision to cull dogs due to a rabies outbreak. In Selangor, civil societies are openly criticising the state government over their investment arm and even the planned elevated Damansara Shah Alam Highway (Dash).

These are but a few examples of how a thriving ‘delusional’ society of all ethnicities have been granted openness in voicing out and expressing themselves beyond politics.

But once again, it is not so much a delusion but a wish, a dream, a vision or a hope for change towards a better government. And in so looking at Selangor and Penang, this has been delivered with some success and some flops.

It is easy to target the DAP as being a Chinese-dominated party in the opposition without looking at the fact that even they know they will not be running the country by themselves, unlike the PAP in Singapore.

The DAP knows its weaknesses in catering for other ethnicities, which is why they joined the Pakatan Harapan coalition. At the same time, they have opened their proverbial doors to the Malay community to join them as well and have a number of young blooded politicians of Malay ethnicity as well as a Dumbledore-ish figurehead.

Is it enough for now? Of course not.

To call it delusional would be premature seeing as how they have two to three years left to make their dream - not a Chinese versus Malay dominance, but a fairer Malaysian versus Malay dominance government - a reality.

All this being said, Mr Ambassador, they are not being delusional. The ethnic Chinese, ethnic Malays, all ethnicities in Malaysia have a vision and dream of a better government for Malaysia. And in Malaysia, we do not call hopes and dreams for a better future for the nation delusional.

Hopefully in 2018, we can call it a realised dream.