Sebagai orang Melayu, mengapa kita bersatu?

The recent resurgence of the slogan "United Malays" in Johor and Negeri Sembilan highlights the importance of cooperation between parties that are largely Malay-dominated. The Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have engaged in unofficial pre-election cooperation, with PAS supporting BN candidates in areas where they do not contest.

This unity of Malay voters contributed to BN's victory in 48 out of 56 parliamentary seats. While BN did not reciprocate by supporting PAS in Johor, the election results demonstrate that greater gains can be achieved when both sides work together. This outcome encourages more generous election strategies between the two factions in Negeri Sembilan, distributing seats to avoid contention.

Both alliances now hold 25 out of 36 parliamentary seats, with BN securing 18 and PN holding seven. Beyond seat calculations and vote tallies, a more pressing question arises: why should we Malay people unite? Is it to enhance the socio-economic standing of the Bumiputera community, or are we merely aligned behind a clique of political elites to ensure their continued dominance, even if some are embroiled in serious corruption allegations or have been implicated in fraud?

Throughout both election campaigns, I have heard more discussions about preserving Malay political dominance rather than plans to improve the lives of ordinary Malays. Meaningful conversations about creating better-paying jobs, strengthening education, increasing productivity, expanding Bumiputera participation in high-value industries, or building wealth for future generations are lacking.

Instead, much of the rhetoric revolves around ensuring political power remains firmly in Malay hands. But who truly benefits from this narrative, or the political leaders who continue to use populist fear tactics to stay relevant? More importantly, what have most of these leaders achieved when given power? Some continue campaigning to pardon former deputy prime ministers accused in the SRC International scandal, despite 1MDB's significant impact on national reputation and finances.

Others are linked to controversies involving institutions meant to safeguard Malay interests, such as the Tabung Haji, when administrative incompetence and financial mismanagement raise serious questions about how public trust is managed. If "unifying Malay people" merely means rallying behind anyone claiming to represent Malays without considering their integrity or performance, it is not a movement to uplift Malays.

Instead, it becomes a shield to protect them from accountability. For years, my parents have always reminded me that Malays must protect their honor. That message has stayed with me to this day. For me, honor is not measured by how much we can protect our politicians simply because they belong to the same ethnic group. Honor is measured by our willingness to demand integrity, competence, and honesty from those who wish to lead.

Supporting politicians who fail to meet these standards is not a way to honor Malay values; it is a way to lower them. The Malay unification rhetoric also overlooks an important fact: Malays are not a homogeneous group. In our society, there are conservatives and progressives, entrepreneurs and workers, free-market and social democracy supporters, urban and rural professionals, and rural farmers.

We have different beliefs, priorities, and aspirations. Considering all Malays as having one political identity overlooks this diversity and disrespects our ability to understand and address complex fundamental issues. As a Malay person, I do not want the election to be about which party can claim to be the strongest defender of the nation.

I want to know which party has a better plan to improve school quality, create high-quality job opportunities, increase Bumiputera shareholding in corporations, and ensure future generations can compete globally. Most importantly, I want to know how they plan to build a Malaysia that no longer relies heavily on affirmative action because they have become economically self-reliant and capable of competing on their own merit.

This is the true meaning of empowerment for me. It has been far too long that national politics has encouraged Malays to believe that their greatest threat comes from non-Malays. However, the larger and more lasting divide is not between Malays and non-Malays. It is between political elites who benefit from maintaining the status quo at the expense of ordinary people who have to bear the consequences.

Identity politics requires little evidence or fundamental solutions, allowing leaders to avoid answering difficult questions about governance and performance. As long as we continue choosing politicians primarily based on ethnic similarity rather than integrity, competence, and achievement, they have no incentive to genuinely improve the socio-economic well-being of the Bumiputera community. They will continue selling the same narrative.