(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): In 1963 together with our brethren from Sabah and Sarawak, we started calling ourselves Malaysians. Our nationhood was based on the 1957 Merdeka social contract that promised us much but delivered little.  

50 years ago, we were promised democracy. We were promised justice. We were promised equality. We were promised rule of law. We were promised integrity. We were promised to be treated with human dignity and we were promised freedom. 

We are still awaiting these promises. Why were these promises unfulfilled?  

First our fundamental human rights, civil and political liberties embodied in the Federal Constitution as the highest law of the land, were slowly but surely emasculated, diminished, diluted and finally rendered meaningless by repeated constitutional amendments. As many as the years Malaysia became independent was far exceeded by the number of times our Federal Constitution was amended. 

Two, those constitutional provisions that could not be amended was ignored and summarily shoved aside by a unilateral declaration by the Prime Minister on 29 September 2001 that Malaysia is an Islamic state. No heed was paid to the pronouncements made by our first three Prime Ministers prior to the 80s nor to the ruling of the highest court in our land in 1988 that the Federal Constitution clearly defines Malaysia as a secular state. 

Third, the promulgation of state interventionist economic policies led by the New Economic Policy(NEP) that promoted racial preferential quotas under the pretext of equitable wealth redistribution and sanctioned political patronage and self-aggrandisement under the guise of wealth creation. Whilst the goal of the NEP was also to eradicate poverty regardless of race, the primary focus was the creation of bumiputera millionaires and an accelerated expansion of a bumi business community by all means necessary.  

This primary focus gave NEP a bad name as a vehicle for corruption, cronyism and abuse of power especially when it was extended beyond its 20-year shelf life in 1990. US finance house Morgan Stanley estimated US$100 billion lost to corruption since the 1980s. 

The NEP also alienated and angered many non-bumis who could not understand why they had to sacrifice for the wealthy bumis. Non-Malays are not angry with the NEP for helping poor Malays. Neither are Malays incensed with the NEP for helping poor non-Malays. What all Malaysians are furious with the NEP is that the NEP is used as a tool of crony capitalism and patronage to enrich the wealthy. 

Finally, the insidious erosion of our national psyche by systematically dividing Malaysians by race and religion – bumis and non-bumis, Muslims and non-Muslims. Whilst we can blame the British for introducing this divide and rule policy, the insidious fault lines created has sheared our souls and haunts future generations by creating many nations of different races within a nation-state. Ethnicity and religious beliefs not universal values of justice will shape outcomes. 

Unlike in America where everyone is an American, here in Malaysia we are either Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans. This is probably the greatest injustice of all in refusing to treat every Malaysian equally. Bangsa, agama dan negara is only directed at one community. 

We continue to be divided by the colour of our skin or the beliefs in our hearts or our political affiliations even though our blood is of the same colour. Instead of one people, one Bangsa Malaysia in a secular state we have racial dominance and an Islamic state. What is so difficult about accepting Bangsa Malaysia which was described by Mahathir “as people being able to identify themselves with the country, speak Bahasa Malaysia and accept the Federal Constitution”. 

Until we revert back to Bangsa Malaysia and ketuanan Malaysia, can we reclaim our Merdeka heritage and the promises made. The damage done from such misguided policies is most obvious in the economic sphere. The foreign specialists of Malaysian affairs can not fail to be puzzled at the stubborn refusal of ordinary Malaysians, who are no less educated and intelligent than them, to see through the self-serving economic policies that are detrimental to the common good of the country.  

Perhaps such inertia explains why the European Union Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Thierry Rommel was moved to severely criticize the NEP as anti-competitive, a lack of a level playing field and an unacceptable cost of doing business in Malaysia. He added, “Together with an inefficient public service, corruption and the questionable and unchecked practices of Malay preferential treatment, it had also dampened the business environment and economy of the country.” 

Even the government has conceded the defects of the NEP when it exempted investors in the Iskandar Development Region in Johor from the NEP. A million Malaysians who voted with their feet by emigrating overseas for the last 35 years is the strongest indictment of the failure, injustices and discrimination of the NEP. Money lost can be earned back but human resources and brain power is irreplaceable. 

These are amongst the many challenges we face in realizing the promises of Merdeka 50 years ago. What’s stopped us from overcoming them is the failure of leadership, the absence of moral courage and outrage as well as yes the smallness of our politics. 

We should look at the big picture. Globalisation is upon us and yet we are so unprepared. Looking at the big picture entails an international global mindset that empowers every Malaysian with equal opportunity and not entraps us with mediocrity and mindless slogans of Towering Malaysian, Life-long Education and Islam hadhari.  

To lead Malaysia into the 21^st century, we need intelligent, rational and unprejudiced Malaysians that respect diversity. There is no room for MPs who are foul-mouthed or disparage minorities and demean women as sex objects. Only decent and competent Malaysians can make Malaysia better. 

At a time when we are celebrating our 50th Merdeka celebrations, we should be looking forward to one national ideal grounded on democratic principles of justice, respect for human rights, freedom, integrity and human dignity. Let us transform Malaysia through Malaysian First, based on democracy, political equality, equal opportunity and social justice that ensures economic prosperity for all. 

Let us transform Malaysia into a crime-free neighbourhood, especially for women and children. Malaysians should enjoy the four basic rights of security – to live, work, study and play in a safe and secure environment. 

Let us transform Malaysia that pursues excellence and values our best and brightest students by rewarding them with university places and scholarships.  

Let us transform Malaysia that shares our country’s wealth with workers who can live with dignity with a minimum wage.  

Let us transform Malaysia that is environmentally-friendly with sustainable living consonant as one with nature and all beings created by God where orang utans, hornbills, pygmy elephants, tigers and rhinos roam freely with undisturbed abandon.  

Let us transform Malaysian sports and football into a team we can take pride in, which is praised rather than pilloried as a top 50 footballing nation instead of the present lowly 150^th ranking. 

Let us transform Malaysia from what it is now to what it should have been as envisaged by our founding fathers by restoring the Merdeka Constitution. The original Malaysian Merdeka Constitution did not allow for preventive laws such as the ISA that sanctioned detention without trail. Neither were there repressive laws such as the Printing Presses & Publications Act and freedom of the press was sacrosanct. Not only was there independence of the judiciary, there was independence of the Elections Commission where no gerrymandering was permitted and variances in voters between constituencies were limited to only 15%. And there were local government elections then unlike now. 

Let us also transform Malaysia into a civil society that is inclusive. We can no longer rely on the traditional government and business sector to fulfill our expectations and needs. To ensure that every ordinary Malaysian is allowed to participate in the democratic and political process some of the elements of civil society must be evident: free association and expression; regulated, but open and market-oriented economies; aid to the poor, orphaned, elderly, sick, or disabled; and finally, civic cultures that cherish diversity and individual freedoms but also respect human needs for community and shared visions of the common good. 

Can we discard our diverse ethnic background and different religious beliefs for Bangsa Malaysia? I have faith in the common decency, respect for diversity and proper sense of justice in our fellow citizenry to believe that Bangsa Malaysia Boleh! 

Only by transforming Malaysia through unification of all our hearts and souls as one Bangsa Malaysia, can we ensure prosperity and fulfill the promises made 50 years ago during those halcyon days when cries of Merdeka Merdeka Merdeka rang throughout the land.  

Aspirations without accomplishments mean nothing. We must commit ourselves to do our duty with faith and without fear to accomplish our aspirations of political equality, economic prosperity shared by all in a civil society that cherishes democracy, justice and the rule of law.