Whatever one’s political convictions may be, Pakatan Rakyat has become a new political reality and a progressive political force. One, it offers the rakyat an alternative for responsible government in a two-party system that is the prerequisite of a true democracy. Two, as a multiracial political coalition, it challenges the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition government that is made up of race-based parties.

Generally, any progression from racial politics is in line with universal principles of human rights and equality as clearly stated in the Koran and the UN Charter. The excesses of racial politics have littered the history of mankind in the last millennium with many bloody chapters starting with European colonialism, the atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps, the brutality of apartheid in South Africa, and the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Rwanda.

The question on how Pakatan Rakyat reconciles its internal contradictions between the socialist secularism of DAP and the Islamic political activism of PAS is not so insurmountable. If the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition government has long declared this country as an Islamic country even though it is not clearly stated in the Federal Constitution, then the issue of an Islamic state becomes academic.

It is in fact a fait accompli since that historical declaration was made by Tun Mahathir as the then prime minister of the country. The leaders of MCA and MIC can longer use scare tactics to intimidate non-Muslim voters with the horror of the emergence of an Islamic state purportedly to be engineered by PAS. In fact, both parties did not vehemently voice their objections when Tun Mahathir made that historical declaration.

Political leaders of all hues must take heed that the rakyat can no longer tolerate wakil rakyat adroit only in double speak. They must begin to turun padang to listen and be prepared to be humbled by the voice of the rakyat . Only after they have listened to the voice of the masses can they begin to serve and not to be served instead.

After the recent general election, Malaysia has emerged as a dynamic democratic country in the international Islamic community. Our country is already well known for its economic prowess, and we can now take pride as a leading democracy of the world. There remain urgent national tasks to reform the judiciary and to improve upon the public delivery system in order to make ours a civil society where the rule of law prevails, and where economic and educational opportunities will be afforded to all irrespective of race.

Today, Malaysians are probably still some of the most religious people of the world, as there is no other Islamic country or any place in the world where the religious festivals of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism are celebrated freely and passionately. This clearly reflects the mutual respect and tolerance between the rakyat of all races, and this common bond must be strengthened to create a true Malaysian society that is inclusive of every major language, and cultural and spiritual groups found in this beloved tanah air of ours.

The credibility of the government of the day lies in transparency and good governance, and not on sleek public relation works. The government of the day no longer holds the means to control the flow of information, or has the monopoly on the truths. Modern communication technology has empowered the rakyat to become a ‘minister of information’ in his own right. No longer can the information ministry simply unplug the cables to the TV and radio sets in order to avoid inconvenient truths.

Ijtihad or independent judgment is a fundamental guiding principle for the interpretation of the Syariah law, and the more educated and cosmopolitan younger Malaysians can make that kind of independent judgment on every government policy, executive decision, judiciary summary and the utterances of every wakil rakyat.

Islamic values such as the creation of a just and corrupt-free government, religious freedom for the minorities, the right of every citizen to seek knowledge for spiritual and material betterment of the community, and equality between the sexes are universal values for good governance that are generally acceptable by the majority of Malaysians.

If these Islamic universal principles for good governance can bring about such a just and democratic society in Malaysia, then surely it is a small price to pay for re-branding this country as an Islamic nation.