Moving from identity politics to citizenship politics

Malaysia's national survival relies on a foundation of everyday kindness and pluralism, where neighbors help one another without concern for identity cards, and people of different backgrounds play together and live in harmony. However, this peaceful reality is threatened by political machinations that aim to undermine this unity.

Our complex identities—neighbours, workers, parents, children of a specific land, and participants in shared civic life—often get stripped down by politics into one single, rigid category, as warned by Amin Maalouf and Amartya Sen. This "miniaturisation" of individuals into predetermined tribal boxes erodes the beauty and complexity of Malaysian society.

Political parties, such as PAS, Umno, and Bersatu, employ majoritarian identity strategies to strengthen Malay Muslim unity, claiming that Islam and Malays are under threat. This manufactured fear undermines rational concerns like economic well-being and cross-cultural empathy, pushing citizens into a zero-sum game where they must view their neighbors as adversaries.

This division leaves no room for moderation and creates permanent political outsiders. Malaysia stands at a crossroads: defending the middle ground of pluralism or succumbing to the seductive trap of exclusive identity politics. The writer urges Malaysians to move away from identity politics and embrace the politics of citizenship, where every Malaysian, regardless of race or religion, is a valued citizen.

The unity of Malaysians should be the priority, as a house built on exclusion and subjugation cannot stand.