Resisting historical amnesia, youths embrace Left again

As a young Malaysian woman, I don't see any political representation of myself in mainstream Malaysian politics.

Politicians are either too busy buffing up their image with public money to give them political mileage, or too busy enriching themselves and their cronies to care about issues raised by the youths.

BN's race-based system is a huge turn-off from the get-go, while Pakatan Harapan's coalition with the same race-based ilk as exemplified by Bersatu just feels too much like treachery towards all the progressive values of equality and justice that they were supposed to espouse.

The politics is the same - protect your own people first, protect your own interests first, before the interests of the people.

And I am a straight Malay Muslim woman in Malaysia. I cannot imagine the kind of marginalisation in representation felt by other racial, religious and sexual minorities.

For the longest time, I haven’t seen any alternatives, other than the close circle of friends I keep with me.

They are youths who see past the superficial image of progressiveness that politicians on both ends try to feed us. In order to secure political mileage, even politicians in the opposition pander to the divisive narrative of Malay supremacy and homophobia.

Case in point: The collection of 10,000 signatures by Bersatu's Youth wing to "destroy beer festival culture" as it could lead to a "gay festival" later.

Was I surprised they came up with that petition? Not at all.

When the country was busy parading and praising the trailblazing Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for his "bravery" in speaking up for the country, youths in my circle saw through the politician behind this facade of "progressiveness". We saw through the rhetoric and saw the actual substance - a young face espousing tired, old political values.

"Ribu kata dusta ku belah empat, ribu cara nista ku dapat lihat (I see through your lies, I see through your scheme),” were the lyrics in 5forty2's “Lawan Tetap Lawan”. Lyrics so good, the song should be an anthem.

Remembering political left

Historical amnesia is a deliberate project to make Malaysian youths forget our tradition of progressive politics.

Malaysia has a politically leftist tradition, a narrative often lost and erased from our official history as a function to maintain the status quo.

Tradition is a powerful thing, though very subjective. Drawing inspiration and energy from tradition could practically disrupt existing power structures.

For example, the first to articulate and work on the idea to demand independence from the British was Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM).

Their politics was radically different from the racist and colonial mainstream politics at the time. Right-wing politicians were more than happy to accommodate our colonial imperialists, since technically speaking, it was the sultans of the states that sold our sovereignty out to the British.

Originally the youth wing of PKMM, Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API) detached itself from the mother organisation and became an independent organisation.

The spirit of the youths were fresh and young, and it wasn't just due to their age.

It was the spirit of freedom and resistance against any form of fascism and authoritarianism.

They were against everything old politics believed in. They wanted to end structural economic inequality and institutionalised racism, free the captive mind, and ultimately, they were anti-colonial.

The grassroots work of PKMM, API, PUTERA-AMCJA, Angkatan Wanita Sedar (AWAS) and others disrupted the colonial power of the British so much that they were considered a national threat.

Leaders of those organisations were captured and jailed.

However, more than 70 years have passed since their establishment and they are now systematically forgotten.

We only mention them in passing in the official history textbooks, and we omit a huge bulk of their acts of resistance for independence.

The history of hartal, or strikes, organised by these leftist political organisations are not mentioned. Perhaps this is to make us forget that street demonstrations against oppression is part of our tradition.

I would not have had any memory of the history of the Malaysian left if I did not go out of my way to read books on alternative history.

The inclusive and egalitarian values they stood for would not tolerate the kind of populist politics that plague us today. But it seems to me that even though the white conquerors are gone, our colonial hangover still persists. We are now our own white colonisers; we've only evolved to become slaves to brown-skinned masters.

Personally, I have given up on the older generation to lead us. They are leading us backwards in time. They did nothing much to prevent us from forgetting.

This is why I choose my side with the youths that provide that alternative. The youths that remember history. The youths to whom politics is not just about the general elections. The youths to whom politics is a life-long process from birth to death.

I may not be on the side of history that remembers us, but I will be on the side of history that is just.

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MARYAM LEE is a writer with a chronic tendency to get into trouble. What she lacks in spelling when writing in English is made up for with her many writings in Bahasa Malaysia. She believes in conversations as the most valuable yet underrated cause of social change. She wants people to recognise silences and give them a voice, as she tries to bring people together through words.- Mkini

✍ Sumber Pautan : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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