The birth of a new politics is at hand. However, dangers to its successful delivery are many, some from within and some without. The oppositional imagination has still not contributed to the development of a ‘political alloy’, consisting of the many individual opposition parties, to withstand internal differences and external attacks of the ruling ‘front’.

Whatever short-sighted mistakes the opposition commit now are going to be enlarged a thousand times by the BN-press to delegitimise the opposition and its electoral gains. The people will be constantly contacted to be told that they have made a mistake in giving the opposition an opportunity that they do not deserve and, far worse, that they cannot make use properly to effectively deliver.

Against this, the new and young parliamentarians in the various parties of the opposition and from various communities/constituencies have a major responsibility for our future. It is perhaps they who should take up leadership and shape the New Malaysia we want. Their deliberations and leadership should perhaps cover the following themes.

(1) Unity

Imagination of a unity beyond party politics is the need of the hour. There are some differences and some contradictions between parties like DAP, PKR and PAS. Both differences and contradictions can develop into inter-party conflicts and inadvertently contribute to communal politics. We need to look at some alternative routes to strengthen ourselves.

There is need for a serious examination of all the people’s manifestoes produced in this nation. In more recent times, this should take us back to the end of the 90s and the start of the new millennium, when the ‘Anwar phenomenon’ offered us an opening for a New Malaysia. We have had such effort even during this election when active Malaysian bloggers came together.

Consider these manifestoes and there will be so many areas to work together - electoral reform, promoting more direct democracy, building safeguards against abuse of state power (applicable to all aspiring for state power), repealing draconian laws, freeing the press from editorial manipulation by owners, changing the political culture by introducing such devices as referendums and plebiscites, etc. The notions of ‘Reformasi’, ‘Barisan Alternatif’, ‘Barisan Rakyat’ or ‘Makkal Sakthi’, and the spirit behind them, have all potential for building unity beyond party ideology or political territoriality. Without a ‘non-party view’, we are likely to be faced with nagging problems that will threaten our common victories and gains.

(2) New language of politics

There is a need to articulate a new politics that goes beyond the present ethnic model of politics or ethnocracy. Indian Malaysians in the 2008 election have delegitimised MIC and, in a sense, delegitimised ethnic politics. This is still largely a symbolic victory against ethnic-based politics and has to be converted into a sustained institutionalisation effort to complete delegitimisation of MIC and the politics that sustains it. Such an effort has the potential to set off a political domino, and help contribute to dismantling ethnic politics. All of us who believe that another Malaysia is possible, urgently need to contribute to the development of a whole new language of imagining and conversing about our experiences and the new political model.

If we start it now, it is possible that in another three or five years and beyond our young will talk less and less in terms of Umno, MCA or MIC in relation to their future in this country and in relation to this nation’s future in the world. We need a language that frames our common destiny in the language of inclusiveness and in terms of freedom, fairness and social security for all.

(3) Pacifying ethnic-based sentiments

Without doubt, we need to move away from an ethnic model to non-ethnic model of politics. That takes time and sensitivity, because the emotional foundation of this nation for now still supports an ethnicised superstructure. For our Malay Malaysian brothers, sisters and friends, it relates to the emotional realities of ‘homeland’, of ‘ownership of the land’, of ‘possible loss of control over culture and cultural institutions’ etc. So, in talking about such things as the Malay rights and the New Economic Policy, the members of the opposition need to be very cautious before the BN-press turns the victory of the opposition into some sort of anti-Malay hysteria and witch-hunt. Our Malay Malaysian brothers, sisters and friends, particularly in PKR and PAS, have to generate more dialogue within the community and across the communities throughout this nation.

Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese Malaysians leaders and party members should resist the temptation of turning our common democratic agenda into what can be perceived as a ‘revenge’ strategy against a community. Change cannot occur instantaneously. Emotional realities cannot be changed overnight. The opposition should stop acting as though they have only five years to sort all these out and start considering the scenario of winning the next general election by wining the heart and confidence of all people in the next five years. Nothing is going to be achieved long term if we inadvertently give unfair people the opportunity to destroy our (all of us) gains. What we will contribute is to the effort of ill-intentioned others to move the communities into a collision course. We need our new politics to be not only inclusive but also compassionate. We need to remove the horns off our heads.

(4) Recovering alternative traditions

There are many traditions of inter-ethnic collaborations and co-existence in Malaysia. These episodes and histories must be recovered and/or drawn into the centre, actively building resource for a new history of Malaysia that can sustain the fledgling present political outlook. Look into the Bangsawan tradition, the cultural hybrid communities like the Baba-Nyonyas and the Chitties, friendships across the communities that have historical import, the ‘roads of harmony’ in places in Melaka and Pulau Pinang, Dato Kong shrines, etc. These histories must be made our histories. They must help contribute to an alternative history of Malaysia and a new emotional infrastructure. Only a new emotional and intellectual foundation can sustain the new politics and the new Malaysia we aspire for.

DR M. NADARAJAH is a sociologist by training. He belongs to the Asian Public Intellectuals (API) Community, a community of filmmakers, theatre people, song writers, poets, activists and academics working in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Japan for a better Asia. His work focuses on cultural and sustainability issues.