LETTER | Malaysians should reject politics of self interest

LETTER | Parliament has been dissolved and the 15th general election is around the corner. Citizens of Malaysia are going through a critical phase where there is a need for an electoral decision on the fundamental issues that would determine whether the Malaysian nation rises to the highest ideals or remains in mediocrity.

Lately, I have been talking to some voters about the criteria they would set in voting for a particular candidate.

Many of them told me that it would depend on how they would personally gain from the politicians. It was about what is in for me.

Knowing such attitude among certain Malaysians, major political parties have indulged in providing short-term material comforts such as household provisions and allocation of sums of money to potential voters.

Some of the political parties that are concerned about the significance of young voters have visited institutions of learning by asking certain political questions and the moment the response is to one’s advantage, a certain cash payment is given to the students.

It is unfortunate for institutions of learning to allow such payments to be made, which can be construed as bribery.

Even in Budget 2023, there are allocations towards a utilitarian end. For example, there is an allocation of RM2.5 billion in welfare aid benefiting 450,000 households, and RM2,500 in BKM aid for households earning less than RM2,500 monthly.

The million-dollar question is how would such allocations empower the poor for long-term socio-economic progress.

What is obvious is that a certain segment of Malaysian voters have embraced utilitarian politics, where the first gaze at anything is always utilitarian, and it almost totally takes over after a while.

People tend to invite corrupt politicians into their fold by asking questions such as “What’s in it for me? What can I get out of it? How can I make money from the general election? Does this make me look good? Will this give me pleasure?”

This attitude results in a spiritual illness, in the sense that people are not able to discover ideals that are bigger than their self-interest.

The issues that are facing the nation today are a lack of integrity in public governance, ethnoreligious bigotry, endemic corruption, environmental pollution, intimidation and prosecution of investigative journalists, weak labour movement, and the rising gap between the rich and the poor.

Unless there is a strong youth movement for change within Malaysian society in the upcoming general election, Malaysia could face a catastrophic future.

There is an imminent chance for corrupt politicians to get back into power because certain Malaysians tend to ask what is in for them in the coming general election. Self-seeking short-term material gains do not address existential corruption, climate change, and poverty.

Therefore, the Association for Welfare Community and Dialogue (ACID) urges Malaysians to reject utilitarian, self-serving politics and vote for ideals that are beyond the self.

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