LETTER | I kind of expected the results of the Semenyih election but facing the reality was rather hard. It’s not so much the fact that Pakatan Harapan had lost that I feel sad. The by-election shows the thinking of some Malay voters - it does not matter if a leader steals from them or lies to them. 

I have this belief - if a government is not good, we can change them but if the problem lies with the mindset of the masses, then the future of the country is a huge question mark.

Having said that, Semenyih forced me to see the reality on the ground. Firstly, Malays are the majority. Secondly, our Malay fellow citizens have very different concerns. Finally, if we want successful communication between us, we must start by trying to understand them and hopefully build bridges to connect.

The latest official stats show that Malays accounted for 64 percent of the population in 2010 and the percentage is likely to continue to grow because of the higher birth rate of the Malays. Non-Malays will be a shrinking minority. Therefore, because of their numbers, more and more it will be the Malays who shape the future of the country through their vote. 

So, if they believe the Umno-PAS rhetoric and choose them in the next general election - through a clean and fair election - and if we honestly believe in democracy through the ballot box, we will have to learn to respect that outcome as the choice of the majority. 

That’s what a democracy is about - the majority has the right to decide and the minority must accept their decision.

The Semenyih result proves that some Malays buy into the rhetoric of race and religion. They are uncomfortable seeing those of their own race having different opinions debating and arguing publicly with one another. They feel discomfort seeing non-Malays in top leadership positions. 

And so, the idea of a united Malay race speaks to them. More so when they're overwhelmed by so much fake news, false accusations and racial incitement on social media. If we want to find a reason for this divisive thinking, one explanation would be the racial segregation practised in schools, government departments and society over the past few decades. 

This kind of thinking frustrates those of us who hold tightly to the idea of meritocracy and rules-based (instead of race-based) justice.

Accepting all that is really tough for many of us. That’s why over the last few years, many have chosen to leave the country or have sent their children overseas, telling them not to come back despite the sad prospect of facing an empty nest without their kids in their old age. I personally know people who have or whose children have migrated to Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK in recent years.

But some of us aren’t giving up yet. We still want to try to bring about meaningful changes to Malaysia, whether in our capacities as political leaders, civil society activists or just concerned ordinary citizens. Semenyih has shown that sincere intentions and logical arguments alone can’t win. 

In any communication, unless we can tune into our audience’s needs first and use that as the starting point, there’s little chance of us persuading them. And that’s why I feel non-Malays have an uphill task because they are already rejected before they open their mouths. 

In the presence of so much bias, it is the enlightened, objective Malays who need to step forward in huge numbers to build those bridges to connect with their own race and guide them towards a better future. But first, they must build those connections. Hopefully, PR and communication experts will jump to the fore to help them with this.

This doesn’t mean the rest of us should just sit by the sidelines and watch. We can contribute in whatever way our skills permit towards building those bridges. But focus first on those bridges and don't get distracted by other narratives. 

People are resourceful and if we put our minds to it, we will find many ways to build all forms of bridges to connect with the masses. Nonetheless, I personally believe the way forward lies hugely in the hands of our fellow Malay Malaysians. It's time for them to step forward.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.