BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ

If Mahathir Mohammad’s controversial book, The Malay Dilemma, highlighted issues affecting the Malay community, these dilemmas have now been exacerbated to include other Malaysians such as the Chinese and Indians and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

While many who have read The Malay Dilemma believe former premier twice over and dictator, Mahathir, actually wrote the book to create a non-existent scenario, in a bid to prepare to take power and hold sway over Malay voters.

Independent experts concur with these findings, and if the Malays suffered from any dilemma, it was perpetuated and created by the likes of Mahathir and other Malaysian prime ministers to have a vice-like grip over the Malays.

This translates into why the actual Malay dilemma is the inability of the Malays for decades, since Merdeka, to be able to break free and escape from the clutches of national leaders who use them to endorse or rubber stamp their ability to wield power over them.

How the ‘dilemmas’ affecting the Malays became a dilemma for all Malaysians

While it is blatantly wrong, improper and deceitful of Mahathir to state that there is such a phenomenon as The Malay Dilemma, the truth of the matter is that Malays and other Bumiputras are equally capable as the other Malaysian races.

The mischief of suggesting the Malays suffered from a dilemma meant they had to be protected, sheltered and accorded affirmative action for a dilemma of such a long stretch that it has also caused dilemmas for the non-Malays.

While not questioning the social contract, and not casting aspersions or slighting Malays and other Bumiputras for the special rights and privileges they have been accorded, the moot question now is when would it all end?

These policies should not be allowed to go on forever, as it has really been backfiring, and only served to establish a well-entrenched elite, while non-Malays and other non-Bumiputras are resorting to unscrupulous ideas and activities to stay competitive.

Isn’t it time to come out of the closet and into the open

Nobody in this country wants the Bumiputras to suffer, but using the ruse or ploy that they are suffering from a dilemma is merely the personal perception of Mahathir Mohammad and should never have been cast into iron.

While framing a new social contract appears to be seditious and anathema to the Malaysian government, what is suggested is that thorough and meticulous studies be conducted to see how much gain or progress has been made by the existing social contract.

This study must be undertaken by a panel of independent experts and it must be fair, balanced reporting, without any malice or prejudice, that the outcome and findings may resolve all the dilemmas faced by Malaysians.

There must be no stone left unturned in conducting these studies and as a form of “White Paper” it must be submitted to His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agong and his brother Malay rulers before a parliamentary debate and discussion

Identifying issues and dilemmas and resolving them justly

The government has to come clean on this pressing matter as it is critically important to resolve the issues and dilemmas affecting all Malaysians as by providing solutions there is every possibility of moving forward with Olympian speed to become a First World Nation.

By not dragging the feet to, once and for all, set Malaysia on the right path to fulfilling the full tenets and benefits of democracy, there is hope for all Malaysians to look forward to a better, brighter future for everyone.

Much unnecessary suffering, hardship and pain being inflicted on the rakyat now unfairly can be averted and there is a strong possibility for Malaysia to compete more powerfully and with much success on the global stage.

This means to only make a few simple but important changes in the existing social contract to foster inclusivity and to ensure there is a partnership of egalitarian value for all Malaysians to savour and enjoy bliss in this country.

**Christopher Fernandez has not given up on resetting Malaysia through reformation and transformation and hopes the authorities would judiciously consider his proposals for the benefit of every Malaysian

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

(The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher)