A Grassroots Democracy?

 

In the last article I wrote, I cited the potential hurdle to Dato Najib's abandoning the concept of a government knows what's best for the people. Once again, I say, given the social background from which the PM comes and the traditional psyche of Malay society in general, his buzzwords may fall flat.

The biggest hurdle is the mental setting of Malay society. It is essentially one that is shaped by feudal social values. Chief among the values is exactly what Dato Najib seeks to dismantle which is a social setting in which the Malay majority looks up to the minority elite for all round succour. The ruling elite which finds its modern expression in the form of government exemplifies acceptance of the idea that it IS the government that knows best.

What Dato Najib is averring to and I hope this is truly what he meant, is the creation of a real grassroots society. How can Dato Najib succeed? Dato Najib can succeed dismantling this mental structure by not compromising on setting up talented and good leadership at all levels. We have talked about this in the last article. More importantly, educational attainment across all levels necessary for the attainment of social consciousness must be raised.

I fear this is a long term agenda and it would be unprofitable and politically risky for Dato Najib to set it up as a leading agenda. Khir Toyo has already hinted at the futility of the government making promises that will be difficult for it to attain.

It will be futile to commit energy and resources to an esoteric and metaphysical political idea. So right from this early on, Dato Najib must state that abandoning the idea of government knows best is but a collateral agenda, achievable when more important issues such as economic progress is resolved. I hope Dato Najib will not entangle himself with unnecessary philosophical idea which at once reminds us of the equally fuzzy idea of an Islam Hadhari.

Unless these two requirements are at least met, we can't have the beginning of a grassroots democracy- which is what Dato Najib alludes to. Otherwise, it will be treated just as mere sloganeering and a hastily hatched up phase to instil a feel-good feeling.

We don' have to go far to cite an example of a representation of opposition to Dato Najib's grand democracy idea than the response to Dato Najib's dismantling the Ministry of Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development. (MECD). Abolition of the Ministry sends shock signals to Malay leaders. They take it as an indication that preferential treatment and care for Malays (which is exactly the embodiment of the idea of a government that knows best) will be withdrawn.

See how much emotion is invested to an institutional structure? And here, Dato Najib wants to dismantle an even entrenched institutional idea that is associated with government. Bad idea. Shoot the advisers.