No matter which parties win the elections in the six states, Malaysia needs a new form of politics.
This must come in at least three forms. Firstly, it must take the shape of a magnanimous federal-state relationship. This has been hard to do for nearly six decades because of the dominance of one ruling coalition, though in a superficial reading it can be passed off as representative of the multiethnic nature of the populace.
Two elections, the most recent being the 15th General Election, have had some positive results, though not enough to dent, let alone kill off, the animus of the ruling party-opposition divisiveness.
Concerted effort must be made by both the ruling coalition in Putrajaya and the parties in the state capitals if they want this to change. If evidence from both sides of the divide is anything to go by, then very little has changed. As recently as weeks ago, ministers said they will do this and, if they win the election, the implication being no help if the ministers' parties are not voted in. This is not a statement consistent with nation-building.
Mature politics requires democratically ripened politics that treats every state within the federal system as one of its own. Malaysia can only become truly Malaysia if every state is treated alike. Sabah and Sarawak are blessed because they have the 1963 Malaysia Agreement to at least insist that they, too, be treated equitably.
But matured politics doesn't need such agreements, at least within a federated system of government. Equitable treatment is a natural outcome of matured politics. Such politics also puts an end to patronage and corruption, two epidemics that our old politics have done nothing about. On the contrary, it has nurtured them. So long as politics is on the side of sleaze, new politics will find it very hard to raise its pretty head.
Secondly, political parties, too, must embrace a new shape. Granted, the ideologies of the various parties — just too many for a small country like Malaysia — are hard to discard. To a few, ideologies are central. But we think they can keep their ideologies and still embrace reforms. One such is for the parties to put in place mechanisms to ensure only those who have the interest of the people at heart are chosen as candidates.
Sadly, the ruling phrase is "winnable candidates", not capable candidates. Better still, people's candidates. Perhaps, political parties may do well by choosing such "people's candidates" by holding a referendum prior to naming them as candidates.
It is not wrong to describe Malaysia's political parties as parallel universes. Each party thinks it is serving the people in its own way. Is it any surprise that so many are being left behind?
Finally, the new form of politics must not leave our lawmakers, be they members of parliament or assemblymen, untouched. Most of them need a lesson in what "wakil rakyat" really means. Many think it a five-year ticket to swift wealth and instantaneous privileges.
Sadly, their parties help perpetuate such a fallacy. When a lawmaker fails a constituency by sheer incompetence, his party shifts him to another seat when he should be punished for his non-performance. But his influence precedes his incompetence. The people have spoken on Saturday. They want party leaders to put an end to such selfish politics.
The vote swing has a message from the people: do not take us for granted. Wise political leaders will use the results of the elections in the six states yesterday to put an end to the stench of such politics.