Sensitive subject: Going beyond cute multiracial images National Day always features and delving into Malaysia’s complex racial politics can often court misunderstanding and displeasure despite the use of tact. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
DELVING into the complexity of racial politics in Malaysia can be a challenging endeavour indeed. Even when broached from nonpartisan or unbiased tangents, the sensitivities of such a topic can often court misunderstandings and displeasure.
Nevertheless, it is a topic that needs to be discussed for better comprehension among people in a multiracial and multicultural nation; it is necessary if we are to better understand each other’s wants and needs and forge a stronger cohesion, especially decades after independence and the formation of Malaysia as a country.
The topic is on the agenda of the upcoming 2024 Politics and Economics Forum (FEP2024), themed “The Reality of Political and Economic Challenges in the 21st Century”. It is organised by the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) and strategic partner Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
“Politics, unity and nation-building” is the title of the first half of the forum that is slated to take place on Sept 18 at the Inter-national Youth Centre in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
The second half of the one-day forum will focus on economics and is titled “Navigating the Global Political Economy in a Time of Uncertainties: Perspective from Malaysia”.
There will be eight panellists of diverse backgrounds, including politicians, former ministers, and academics, taking part in this session.
Politics and race
FEP2024 seeks to facilitate open dialogue between various stakeholders to explore the multidimensional aspects of racial politics in Malaysia.
The forum hopes to look into inculcating understanding of and a higher empathy for the different identities and perspectives within the Malaysian community. This includes studying historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors influencing racial politics, as well as identifying challenges and opportunities to foster a sense of belonging and social and national unity against the background of a variety of identities.
Ultimately, FEP2024 wants to come up with suggestions for strategies and initiatives that can help to resolve issues related to racial politics, and subsequently promote harmony in Malaysia.
Think tank Insap chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong says FEP2024 is taking place at a time when people are having heated conversations about Malaysian politics, which is driven by aspects of ethnicity and identity.
And during each by-election, Yong says such political conversations have led to polemics and polarisation; such a development has Insap concerned by the state of the country’s politics.
“Given the rising debate about Malaysia’s political landscape, it is seen to be driven by ethnicity and identity.
“The FEP2024 will be a platform for topic experts to dissect and discuss this trajectory, its impact on Malaysia’s multi-racial society and what Malaysia should be.
“This forum brings together a line-up of panellists who are very experienced in Malaysia’s political landscape to exchange views and thoughts on building a nation.”
Yong: People are having heated conversations about Malaysian politics, which is driven by aspects of ethnicity and identity. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
She hopes that the panellists will be able to discuss how the country can find a solution to resolve the current situation.
“FEP2024 will help to drive the national conversation towards finding common values among the diverse communities in Malaysia and promote a healthy and peaceful political environment,” she says.
The panel will hopefully discover the reason behind current political trends and their impact, or what we should envision for Malaysia’s future political landscape, unity, and nation-building, she says.
They want to talk about what would happen if Malaysia continues the way it is now, she adds.
Ongoing relevance
Discussions about politics will always remain relevant in Malaysia, says USM political scientist Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, is one of the panellists in FEP2024’s first session.
“In the first session of the forum, we will deal with the ethnic landscape. In the second session, we will talk about political economics issues.
“These are two traditional ways whereby Malaysian politics is investigated, interrogated, and understood.
“We believe that there has to be a dialogue of how things are understood from an ethnic lens and an economic lens. Not just by politicians and academics, but members of the public as well.”
Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi: Political issues need not be discussed with toxicity, as seen on social media today. — Pic provided
Alluding to the generally fierce nature of ongoing political conversations, Prof Ahmad Fauzi says the topic can be discussed civilly.
“Political issues need not be discussed with toxicity, as seen on social media today. [Leading to] the people construing politics as something ‘poisonous’. Something very dirty.
“This is also what we political scientists in the forum seek to present. We want to tell the people that opinions can be shared healthily.”
Other than Prof Ahmad Fauzi, the panellists in FEP2024’s first session are former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, former deputy Higher Education minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad, and Bersih vice-chairman Assoc Prof Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb.
The moderator will be USM political scientist Dr Zaharul Abdullah.
The second session on political economics will be moderated by MCA secretary-general and former deputy Education minister II Datuk Chong Sin Woon; the panellists are former Finance minister II Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, former Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies senior fellow Prof Dr Kuik Cheng-Chwee, and Sunway University’s Jeffrey Cheah Institute on South-East Asia economic studies director Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng, who is also a member of the Policy Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister.
For more information, go to insap.org.my/fep2024/. Those interested can register at bit.ly/fep2024.
