A first time voter's open letter to Muslims

These days, politics is the hottest conversation everywhere. You pick up the phone to talk to a friend, or a relative, and suddenly you are discussing politics!

I was not very much into politics until very recently when I felt my money had been ending up in some rich individuals' expensive handbags. We all have heard the "cincin" and handbags story, which has now been confirmed by the lady herself. That she did not purchase it is secondary. The fact is she and her family did have a taste and a liking for such obscene luxury, so much so the ring had actually been shipped here. Would - or could - any of us do that? At a time when people are finding it hard to make ends meet, she was eyeing the ring!

Now, they are giving you back the RM200 or the RM500. But wait! I know that some children in private schools with annual fees of RM30,000 have also been given the cash!

The coming general election will be the first time I will cast my ballot. When I registered as voter, I did not do it to exercise my right. I did it simply to exorcise the ghost of BN and their supporters which have been running amok since 2008.

I have more friends who are ready to vote for 'bananas' or any other fruit placed to contest against BN.

But there are days when questions boggle my mind while chatting with friends who still support BN. I have always wanted to know what is it they don't know yet. I concluded that they are in the dark. They either do not read or only read Utusan Malaysia and watch TV3. So I tried to tell them of the recent survey finding that more Malaysians are getting news from sources other than RTM, TV3 or any of the other local TV channels. People now depend on independent news on the internet such as Malaysiakini or The Malaysian Insider.

I tried to tell them: you don't have to stop watching TV3 news. You don't have to read Harakah because it is a party organ and it could have its own biases. There are many other news sites on the net which are not operated by political parties.

Many of these friends of mine who have no clue of BN's excesses actually have much fear of losing whatever material things they now have. Most are Malays, and a good number are Indian Muslims whose parents would have taken great pains to repeatedly visit the NRD just to have their children registered as Malays. As such, they feel some 'protection' under BN.

So, I thought to myself, are they even thinking like a Muslim should? Some of whom I know are very pious. I am beginning to think they definitely are praying with a happy heart, feeling secure, but will they pray when all these benefits are taken away?

Will they pray when they wake up one day to find the new government declaring equal rights for all just like what Islam has taught us? Do they even understand the meaning of the Just God?

What can they lose? 7% Bumi benefits when buying a house? Are you okay to be given preference to enter universities when others are not? And you are okay when many poor non-Malays are oppressed due to these policies? Some have lived in this country longer than you - do you think they should go back to their parents' or grandparents' or great-grandparents' homeland? And to where? India? China? They don't even know how to speak good Tamil or Mandarin anymore.

After 50-plus years, with all the benefits, where are you all now? Well protected, but where are you know? You are still the same officer who comes back home with not enough money, who cannot afford your children to buy a small house. What happened to your benefits?

You go to any place and you can't see a phone shop if there is no 'China man' around. These Chinese - denied many benefits accorded to you - have struggled since birth. Their effort is more blessed by God, as they earn money with hard work while we still wait for government handouts.

We are nowhere. So what benefits would you lose, my dear BN-supporter friends?

Many of these friends feel that some non-Malays are also racist. I can agree with that, yes, completely. My question is, aren't you racist too? You get more privilege than the non-Malays only because your birth certificate says you are a Bumi! Let's face it, everybody is racist in Malaysia!

People tell me Chinese companies only employ 'their people' for top position. I agree. But not long ago before you applied for this job, weren't your race prefered for university enrolment?

Similarly, some Chinese complain that Malays are racist even in their preference of where to buy their daily goods. I agree, but I have also seen Chinese salesman snubbing non-Chinese customers.

So why is everybody racist? It is all from up there, our political and government's concept that "one race is more privileged than the other". So the poor non-Malays who only know Malaysia as their land strive on, and in the process some begin hating Malays. And when they openly show this hatred, some Malays react by calling them racists too, and then argue that "we must protect our nation". What nation, whose nation?

Do the Malays know they represent Islam in Malaysia? Do they realise that some ignorant non-Muslims hate Muslims because of this institutional racism? Can we blame them?

Yes, they are ignorant but so are you! You talk about Islam and defending Islam, yet in your heart you have no iman (faith). All you think about is "my benefits".

Take a look at Australia. Whatever your view about that country, its system accords equal benefits to all including Muslims who have only become citizens for several weeks. That is why they still feel a belonging to Australia despite some limitations in their religious practice such as the prohibition of azan in public.

When we Muslims are just, the non-Muslim communities will similarly accept the reality of Malaysia's Muslim history and identity and accept some limitations, just as Muslims in Australia have.

Islam is just. Everybody has equal rights. If you still feel that you need your children to be protected by a man's rule (BN) and not by God, then you are just like what the Qur'an describes: "Deaf, dumb and blind; and they are not to return (to the right path)" [Baqarah 2:18].

As for me, I will vote for the banana that I don't know about. Give Pakatan Rakyat a chance. I too have so many doubts about PR. Yet, I am convinced it can't be worse than our present state. If it does, then I can pass my verdict in another five years.

Giving BN another five years will spell the end of the opposition, and ultimately competition. In any country, such a competition is healthy. What makes you think Malaysia is any different?


* The writer, in her early thirties, is a housewife and lives in Subang Jaya.