As Aliran celebrated its 48th anniversary at Penang’s Majestic Theatre last Saturday, the contrast with our previous gathering seven years earlier could not have been starker.
Gone was the heady optimism that hung in the air, four months after the stunning electoral upset in the 2018 election.
But in its place now stood something perhaps more valuable – the unyielding resilience of activists who understand that real change demands both patience and persistence over the long haul.
Back in 2018, the mighty Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition had just been toppled by Pakatan Harapan for the first time since independence and the formation of Malaysia. The expectations in the wake of that eye-popping regime change were sky high.
Since then, a lot has changed. Some of the old guard who returned to prominence after the mass defections from PH in the “Sheraton move” of 2020 are still very much around. Umno itself is back as part of a PH-led “unity government”, formed after the 2022 election, which seems slow in implementing the slew of reforms PH supporters had expected.
Against this backdrop, the Aliran team aimed to inject a strong dose of hope among the audience with its theme for the night “A Malaysia for All – Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion”.
This proved infectious. Guests arrived uncertain what to expect but received warm greetings at the foyer from Aliran members and volunteers – Henry Loh, Andrew Wong, Evelyn Tang, Lee Kwai Han, John Fong, Zaharom Nain, Mary Magdaline Pereira and Poh Heong Hong – who ushered them in.
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The evening kicked off with a video edited and compiled by Lye Tuck-Po, with messages from past and present Aliran presidents, as well as founder members, about the challenges that Aliran has faced along its journey through time.
Four of these past presidents were present at the dinner – Ariffin Omar, P Ramakrishnan, Francis Loh and Aliran’s first woman president Prema Devaraj (the dinner’s amazing chief organiser!) – providing a tangible human-chain link to our past.
Their presence reminded everyone that the struggle is not new. Despite the challenges, we persevere against the odds. And in that journey, we create a microcosm of the inclusive, diverse Malaysia we want – within Aliran and then rippling outwards.
In my welcome address as Aliran’s current president, I noted how the optimism in 2018 had been replaced by pessimism, frustration and even disillusionment. Even back then, there were already warning signs, notably a cartoon that Zunar sketched and auctioned off at our last dinner, that things could get difficult.
Yes, the divisive roots of racial and religious politics run deep, with some politicians ever willing to resort to classic divide-and-rule politics while the well-connected billionaires grow wealthier.
That said, regime change in 2018 did not happen by itself. Well before that, “people had mobilised – through the Reformasi protests, the anti-ISA and Himpunan Hijau (environmental) and the Bersih rallies.”
Today, the struggle for reforms and change must go on, I stressed. “Now we see a younger generation of student activists protesting against corruption in Sabah last month. They give us hope.”
The quotation “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will” – popularised by Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci – tells us it is only natural to be pessimistic when confronted with the hard realities on the ground, the slow pace of reforms.
But we should not let our pessimism paralyse us! We must remain optimistic about the possibility of change through sudden turns in history. This isn’t just baseless optimism; all of us need to work with tenacity to make that change happen, knowing that change is always possible.
The lessons of history should encourage us. As Turkish author Elif Shafak says, “My hope is the people, the society, which is ahead of the government.”
Some might remember that when Aliran started talking about human rights in the 1980s, we were labelled “subversives”. Look how the term human rights has now become mainstream.
Do you remember how NGOs campaigned steadfastly against the Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial. Where is the ISA today? Gone! True, we have other harsh security laws like Sosma around. But sustained public pressure will lead to even more reforms.
Back in 1988, we spoke out against attempts to undermine the independence of the judiciary. Almost five decades on, the judiciary is on a firmer footing – for now. That didn’t happen by chance. More reforms are needed, especially in the way judges are appointed.
Diversity is not something new or alien to us. Imagine, a thriving multicultural society had existed in ancient Kedah way back in the 7th Century. As Bujang Valley archaeologist Nasha Khaw recently told me: “We have artefacts suggesting the presence of Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian traders – and the Indigenous people, of course. Cultures could have corresponded to that.”
“This multiculturalism was not merely an external influence but a deeply ingrained feature of its social fabric, where different traditions coexisted, merged and evolved to create a uniquely adaptive cultural feature,” Khaw said.
So, we each can make a difference in celebrating the diversity in present-day Malaysia, I said: “It’s like when you throw a pebble in a pond. It creates a ripple that fans out. Now, imagine more people throwing pebbles in the pond. We see multiple ripples overlapping each other – and suddenly the once-stagnant pond becomes a vibrant kaleidoscope of activity!”
We can’t just rely on the politicians who often seem stymied by the exigencies of power. “We each have to create our own ripples and look out for each other’s back. Remember #KitaJagaKita? When we do, miracles can happen! Just look at the last-minute reprieve for [death row prisoner in Singapore] Pannir Selvam after appeals from many individuals and groups.”
Next up was Aliran honorary assistant secretary Azmil Tayeb, who recited a poem Satu Dunia, Satu Hati (One World, One Heart) written by Wan Zamzahidi Wan Zahid. This set the tone for the evening’s celebration of diversity and inclusion.
Tanganmu putih, tanganku hitam,
Tetap erat jika digenggam,
Tanpa hasad dan tanpa dendam,
Dunia aman hidup tenteram.
Hentikan sengketa, lenyapkan benci,
Raikan jiwa, pupuk harmoni,
Kerana di akhirnya, kita mengerti,
Satu dunia, satu hati.
Check out the full poem here.
By this time, people were already hungry and tucked into the tasty buffet spread.
Meanwhile, showcasing some of this vibrant diversity was a video produced by Tuck-Po featuring the Indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak and their ancient cultural heritage.
Sada Borneo (Sound of Borneo), an award-winning Malaysian band formed in Penang, took to the stage next. With members from across the nation, the band blends traditional and modern music with ethnic and natural elements.
They held the crowd spellbound with their evocative music, showing exactly why they reached the semi-finals of AXN’s Asia’s Got Talent contest in 2015.
Aida Redza and the Studio Pentas Dance Collective performed a dance Saat Akhir (Last Minute) to music by Rhythm in Bronze. An urgent call to action, the lively performance highlighted the need to protect seagrass before it is too late. Their entrancing individual dance moves blended into a harmonious, breathtaking flow.
James Lochhead then read an adapted version of a moving poem Home, originally written by Warsan Shire, a British Somali poet and refugee. It brought to life the anguish that refugees feel when they are forced by awful circumstances to flee their homes.
i want to go home, but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home tells you to
leave everything and all behind,
even if it was human.
no one leaves home until home
is a voice in your ear saying
leave, leave, run,
NOW
You could hear a pin drop, as the poem moved many in the audience. Read the full adapted poem here and Shire’s original poem here.
Up next was accomplished vocalist Lim Chai Lin, who captivated the audience with powerful renditions of two songs: I Dreamed a Dream (from the 1980 musical Les Miserables) and Jaclyn Victor’s Gemilang (Glorious). Pretty apt to describe our dream of a glorious Malaysia for all, where no one will be excluded or left behind.
It was finally time for our guest speaker Azmi Sharom, out of the public eye for some time, to appear on stage.
Azmi recalled how he returned to Malaysia in 1990 from law studies abroad to a nation still reeling from the Operating Lalang ISA crackdown just three years earlier. Back then the press had been muzzled, which is when he discovered Aliran Monthly. (Little did we in Aliran know!)
Azmi pointed out that the Constitution and the Rukun Negara have given us the philosophical foundation for a fair and just country. The basic structure of the Constitution also ensures separation of powers.
“Where do elections sit in this question of ‘Malaysia for All’. One key principle is that of equality – namely that each of our votes should, as far as possible, carry the same weight.”
He said he and his fellow election commissioners were aware of the malapportionment in the country. Selangor is extremely under-represented, as is Terengganu. “While Sabah and Sarawak – with 16% of the population – have 25% of the seats. And Perlis – whose number of voters is smaller than PJ [Petaling Jaya] – has three seats to PJ’s one.”
Certainly, the commissioners realise the need for public trust in the commission. A fair election process is key to peace. After all, “why fight if you know that even if your candidate lost, there is a fair fight in the future where they can win”?
A recent UKM study showed that trust in the Electoral Commission is around 60% – “Not an A by any means but definitely a borderline second upper. We have much to do still,” Azmi said. Institutional change needs the commission, the civil service and the government to want it.
Azmi also paid public tribute to his fellow commissioner Faisal Hazis, an Aliran member, who was also present. “He has brought his academic vigour, principles and expertise to our ballot box-shaped office – and he has worked so very hard to improve our electoral system.”
“So – HOPE? There is always hope – but I am not so naïve as to think effort will always bring results.”
Principles and idealism for a better fair democratic, progressive country must be fought for, he asserted. “Perhaps it is because I support [English football team] Tottenham Hotspur – a team that does not seem to win anything – that I truly believe there is much value in trying. It is far better to hope and work and fail gloriously – than to look back on one’s life knowing that we did nothing.”
Aliran’s talented and witty emcee, Andrew Aeria, then introduced the Aliran Singers – “Malaysia’s most unassuming group. They don’t have a YouTube or TikTok channel and they never get asked for interviews – and for good reason too!”
Still the singers’ political parodies of popular songs – from the 1960s to the 80s – tickled the crowd. Before they belted out their last song, Stand by Me, Andrew invited everyone to stand and join in solidarity with Aliran.
What better way to end the night. Hopefully, all of us will stand by each other in the struggle to create a just Malaysia for all.
Let’s visualise the diverse and inclusive Malaysia we aspire to. And then, let’s go about making it a reality among the people we encounter – wherever we are, with whatever we have, one pebble at a time, from the bottom up. Together, we can make a difference.
Justice! Freedom! Solidarity!
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Both of my thumbs are …. way up!