Malaysian politics still immature a year after GE13

It was on this day, a year before, that the 13th General Election, regarded as the 'mother of all elections', was held.

Barisan Nasional (BN) continued reign as the chosen government despite receiving a lower popular vote compared to Pakatan Rakyat (PR), which saw its dream of capturing Putrajaya fading away.

For BN, the test that they must overcome is, to what extent can the chosen party control issues relating to race and religion? The rakyat is watching to see how it tackles this: whether things remain as before the much talked about GE13, or are there changes taking place.

Tensions over these issues continue to heat up after GE13, and the people want the polemics to stop. The emergence of such sensitive issues have caused the national unity among the people to be tested.

Christians in Sabah and Sarawak are unhappy with the government’s stance over the Allah issue that has been in dispute in the peninsular.

A series of gatherings by right-winged groups that were racially tinged and insulted opposition leaders were held openly.

The administration of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is not ignoring this issue. On the contrary, the prime minister wants this racial and religious issue to be settled, and find solutions towards national reconciliation.

Aiming for a solution, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) was established. It plays a role in recommending a "blue print" to the government for national reconciliation.

Whereas on PR's end, the partnership it tried to build after GE12 is tested again through the hudud issue.

The decision by PAS of proposing a Private Members Bill in the lower parliamentary house next session to enable the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II, which contains elements of hudud law, to be implemented in Kelantan has caused disappointment within DAP.

If PAS insists to go ahead with its plan of implementing the law, DAP is also firm in its stance of objecting the hudud law with the argument that it is not in line with the Federal Constitution.

The hudud issue, if not handled properly, may cause the history of ‘barisan alternatif’ that was made up of PAS, DAP, and PKR to repeat itself. That partnership shattered because of the hudud issue.

Aside from the issues that test the partnerships and the methods these political parties overcome them, the rakyat are also demanding clear change in the political landscape of the country.

After GE13, the rakyat want politicians to play their role as the people’s representatives, discussing issues of the people and not to politicize everything to the point that the rakyat bears the burden.

However, dreams and reality are never the same. After GE13, all parties both BN and PR have remained true to their cheap political ways, that they have forgot their responsibilities to the people who chose them.

Every day there are issues that are politicised for political interests both personal and for the party, where the rakyat would in the end be burdened by their politicians greed.

Principal Research Fellow of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), professor Dr Mansor Mohamad Noor said that it was time that political activities be restricted to during election campaign season only.

Dr Mansor said all politicians, regardless of party should jointly develop a country for the people and not make the country their ‘party’ by using the people.

“Enough is enough with politics, limit it to during general election period, work on building the country for the people”

“After GE13, the people want politicians who have the characteristics of national leaders but sadly, politicians want to politicise the country, and in the end, the people are the victims,” he told Astro AWANI.

Dr Mansor said that politicians must be aware that the people are bored with the attitudes of politicking all the time that the agenda of nation building is forgotten.

He said that the people bear the burden of the attitude of leaders of BN and PR always politicize everything that happens.

"The water problem in Selangor is a simple example , it is a issue that really happening, but due to the political interests people are sacrificed," he said.

A year after GE13, the country’s politics are still not matured, and this is due to the failures from political leaders themselves.

There is no other way for the country's politics to mature other than politicians stop being so busy politicising everything and pay some attention to nation building.