IN the 60s, the Beatles had a hit song When I am Sixty-four. Band member Paul McCartney wrote the music for this song when he was only 15 in 1957, at a time when the Liverpool-based Beatles were then known as The Quarrymen. He later put lyrics to the song to honour his father when he celebrated his 64th birthday in 1966.
At the time when McCartney wrote When I’m Sixty-Four, the song focused on a young man anxiously looking towards old age; the vocals were speeded up in the studio to enhance the effects of reverberation.
Soon, Malaysia will be celebrating sixty-four years of independence. We have come a long way since our humble beginnings in 1957. When Malaysians like me reflect back, we have much to rejoice, but sadly, it is interspersed with despondency too.
The Malaysia I grew up in, in the 60s is today beyond recognition, with not even a semblance of its past. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. For those in my generation, some of the good times are etched in our memories when we grew up in an era where racial polarisation was non-existent. We were then truly 1Malaysia. But nostalgia is now also blended with reminiscences which are marred.
Many fail to realise that Malaysia draws its strength as a nation from its multi-racial mosaic. It is Malaysians of all races and religions who have made this country what it is today. Diversity is always a source of strength to any country.
We can tap from the richness of our potpourri of work ethics, cultures, traditions, and who can ignore our variety of cuisines, which have drawn many tourists and been the envy of many foreigners. The only tarnished chapter in our history was the unfortunate events of May 13, 1969. Nevertheless, we pulled up our socks and moved forward with determination and resilience through successive policies.
At one time, Malaysia was the only truly functioning democracy, and an oasis of stability in a very troubled region. Our neighbouring countries were either under military dictatorships or unsettled by the communist insurgency. Somehow, we bucked the trend, emboldened by our democratic credentials: Much to the chagrin of many developing countries where parliamentary democracy was a rarity.
Even a neighbouring country which subscribed to democratic values was under an authoritarian leader, who mercilessly mistreated his political opponents. In Malaysia, at the most, Opposition parliamentarians were detained under the Internal Security Act.
Malaysia’s opposition stalwarts in the past like Ahmad Boestamam, Dr Seenivasagam and Dr Tan Chee Khoon were on par with their counterparts in Western countries, with their sharp and objective criticisms. Later, we saw the emergence of leaders like Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and the legendary Tok Guru Nik Aziz. Criticisms were never personal but always in the best interest of the country. All of them were true patriots.
Malaysia’s economy boomed for many years, chalking up impressive growth rates, at times averaging 8% per annum. We were a nation in full employment and soon we had to depend on foreign labour to ensure that our good growth rates were sustained.
Poverty rates were also slashed. In the first decade of independence, poverty in Malaysia was considered widespread, with at a staggering 49.7% in 1970. But it plunged to 8.4% in 2020.
Foreign direct investments flowed into the country from all corners of the globe and our global trade also skyrocketed. Economic policies that were formulated ensured the country’s development plans were sustained. Of course, we had challenges from economic downturns but we managed to navigate ourselves out of it.
Over the past six decades, Malaysia had its fair share of problems encompassing, among others, corruption, cronyism, nepotism, mismanagement and decline in the standards of education. I do not see concrete measures being undertaken by the government to address these critical dilemmas facing the country.
Since 2015, Malaysia has been in the international spotlight for the wrong reasons arising from scandals like 1MDB, FGV and Tabung Haji. The negative reporting in the international media on these scandals has dented Malaysia’s international image.
The 2018 general election was a renaissance for the people of Malaysia. For the first time in history, we had a change of government. Malaysians were walking tall after GE14, looking at the evolution of their democracy. It was a signal to the government, whichever party is in power, the people should not be taken for granted. With an increased level of education comes awareness, knowledge, understanding and wisdom. And it translates to the ability to think and evaluate issues rationally and objectively.
Malaysia’s peaceful polls and smooth transition of power without any untoward incident reflected the political maturity of its people. After GE14, not many developing countries can lay claim to a political history akin to ours. We were optimistic that GE14 laid the foundation for a vibrant two-party system in the country. But the euphoria was short-lived.
It is definitely a setback for Malaysia’s democratic credentials if one government cannot serve out its full term. Malaysia is sending the wrong signals to the foreign corporate sector as we are interlinked to the international business community.
Malaysia is in dire need of a dynamic and visionary leadership now, with the country facing a myriad of problems on different fronts: From the Covid-19 pandemic to economic and employment woes. We face a formidable task to regain the glory days of the past.
Malaysia has been and, I still believe, is a country of immense possibilities, but sadly also squandered opportunities.
People of my generation have been fortunate that the government incorporated the old-fashioned idea of permanent care in retirement. The lyrics from the song When I am 64 reads “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four” presents concerns for the younger generation as they may not be as fortunate as we are now.
Happy Merdeka to all Malaysians.
Benedict Lopez, Bangsar Park, Kuala Lumpur.
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