A nation of victims

Malaysia is a nation of victims and Malaysians are a victim class.

In the social network cyberspace, at functions be they weddings, festive celebrations or reunions, Malaysians rave and rant about unfair prices, corruption, crime, shoddy products and services, contaminated water, polluted air, insurance fraud, poisoned food, alarming increase in road accidents, high cost of medicines, deteriorating educational standards, poor governance, party- hopping politicians…the litany goes on.

When an opposition politician declares, "We are Zimbabwe," the responses are those of a victim class as if we are suffering like the real Zimbabweans. Here are some of the reactions to the politician’s declaration:

"Millions are leaving the country and more will if we had a South Africa across the border. Look at the state of our healthcare. Patients in torn clothes and slippers wait hours to see a doctor in public hospitals, medicines are not available when you present your prescription slip to the dispenser. Grocery bills are going up. Fifty ringgit fetches so little at the market. Maybe we are reaching Zimbabwe’s inflation rates."

As they tucked into the turkey and sipped the wine at a Christmas dinner, a guest spoils the festive mood by reminding: "We’re Zimbabwe, says so and so." "Yes, yes," echo the other guests. The price of turkey has gone up as have the wines and the cranberries, adds another guest as she covers her turkey pieces with a generous helping of cranberry sauce.

And recently, at wedding receptions and other functions, the conversation centres on Malaysia, the ‘new Zimbabwe’. Everyone has a view on the theft of the fighter jet engines, the corruption, the lack of transparency and accountability, the increasing crime rate. Residents are forced to engage private security guards to keep their homes and families safe from criminals who have recently been spotted prying around neighbourhoods in Harriers and Hondas.

‘Price of liberty...’

Yes, the situation is of serious concern but Malaysians must go beyond seeing the deterioration through the prism of a victim class. We are not powerless citizens.

We have rights as citizens, consumers, employees, voters and users of services. The majority of Malaysians have abdicated their rights and lost their power as public and private citizens. Most Malaysians think as long as they obey the laws, vote during elections and pay taxes, they are good citizens. Such thinking has led to the loss of self-governance. We cannot even claim the right to elect our local councillors.

As citizens become powerless, governments and corporations become more powerful and they will not serve the interests of the people. When corporations and institutions are powerful, they will use government and its resources like tax revenues to achieve their goals at the expense of citizens’ interests.

The executive branch of government is now a very powerful institution due to lack of citizen participation in the affairs of government.

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance" was the clarion call of the American Revolution. The same is true to sustain the rewards of liberty such as justice, peace, access to basic needs like safe water, food, healthcare, clean air and security.

But all these rights enshrined in our constitution and in international conventions and agreements ratified by Malaysia, need to be protected with eternal vigilance through citizens’ involvement in the policy and legislative decisions of government that impact our daily lives.

When citizens exercise their rights and responsibilities, the government notices. But how many Malaysians as citizens, consumers, employees, shareholders in pension funds such as the Employees Provident Fund participate in citizen activities to correct the abuses by government and powerful corporations?

As consumers, we spend hard-earned money through hours of work on products and services that may be unsafe and overpriced. Malaysians spend weekends and holidays in shopping malls. But how much time or money do Malaysians contribute to build ‘citizen power’ to influence policies that affect children’s education, environmental quality, utility rates, food prices, healthcare, housing ,access to IT, employment, crime, prisons, our civil liberties and rights?

Outraged by many abuses

In the last three decades, a small number of Malaysian individuals with a fundamental compassion for people have taken up the cudgel for consumers, women, children, indigenous people, migrants and the environment. They formed civil society organisations that have become a voice for the articulation and protection of citizens’ rights.

These citizens, although small in number, have kept the flame of citizen participation burning for the benefit of many Malaysians who continue to remain unengaged in government and community affairs.

Had more Malaysians come together to support and strengthen these civil society organisations, Malaysians would not be victims of discrimination and social alienation.

Because 99 percent of Malaysians continue to stay non-engaged in active citizenship, we suffer the consequences of roads choked with cars, poisoned rivers, foul air, flip-flop education policies, corruption, privatisation of essential services, polluting industries and many social injustices.

In a democracy, all power comes from the people. Let us build a nation based on the ethos that active citizenship is a vital instrument to protect our rights and exercise our responsibilities as public and private citizens. We must be outraged by the many abuses of government and institutions unfolding before us.

Commitment to citizenship must be seen as an obligation requiring our time, energy, skills and other resources. Greater citizen participation in directing the affairs of the government, the economy and big corporations would result in a social revolution that will liberate Malaysians from the victim class syndrome.

More power to you in 2010 as a citizen. Happy New Year.

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JOSIE M FERNANDEZ is currently an Asian Public Intellectual Fellow, director of Philanthropy Asia, researcher and engages with Transparency International Malaysia in anti-corruption measures. An educationist, Josie moved on to citizen's advocacy as founder president of ERA Consumers and regional director (Asia Pacific) for Consumers International.

She holds a masters degree in development management from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines. Working on sustainability, philanthropy and anti-corruption actions are some of her current passions besides writing.