CoVid19 and lessons of history.

Malaysia is at a tipping point.

I am a student (amateur) of history.
A reader of socio-political issue.

I read history and analysis of historical events to understand current events and predict the future based on those historical events. Because history are made by humans and in the end, human nature, at its most basic, are the same, no matter what time period you are at; how "modern" you have become.

Nations and civilisations goes through a cycle of rise and falls. This social theory is proven throughout history. I have mentioned this in one of my previous post. The USA and the western world is also at a tipping point. But I do not want to talk about them, yet. For now, I want to highlight about Malaysia.

There are many reasons why nations rise and many reasons why nations fall.
It is rarely just one thing. It is a million little things and events accumulating to that one event, that tipping point, a point of no return, where your nation will decline and crumble.

For the Greeks & Romans, they invented democracy, but they had slaves who were oppressed. When the slaves revolted, it set a chain of events that led to their fall.

For the Ottoman, they shunned innovation and become dogmatic in order to control their vast empire against attacks from within and without. This decline in civilisational mindset becomes the main reason for their downfall

For the Soviet Union, they curtailed freedom and oppressed their citizens through autocratic and authoritarian government machinations. The citizens revolted and the socialist republic fell. Luckily for them, it was a "soft" revolution, their country did not fall into chaos. It was difficult for awhile, but they persevered.

For Lebanon, sectarian (religious, ethnic, tribal) conflicts erupted almost instantly after the French colonial government left their country.

What about Malaysia?

One ingredient in Malaysia that can be our strength or cause of our fall, is our diversity. For more than 60 years, there was a tug of war between these ideals. Is our diversity our strength or our fall in the making?

In the beginning, it seems we were on the right track. Even when we were faced with the communist threat, whose members were mostly of one ethnic make up, we banded together as a nation and come out of it stronger.

But now, our sectarianism is widening. But at the same time, our unity is also stronger. Yes, the statement is contradictory, but humans are full of contradiction. But this widening contradiction is why we are at a tipping point.

Let me explain.

We are becoming more sectarian. Our inter-ethnic relations are being tested more and more. The latest manifestation of this is that "buying" campaign. Those who propagate this campaign do not understand the fundamentals of economics. When they mix their lack of understanding with race based rhetoric & campaign, they are seeding the fall of our nation.

Even within the Malay Muslim community themselves, they are becoming more sectarian. New sects are jostling for power within the machinations of government. Politically, the Malays are also more divided.

All of these division are OK if tempered with common sense and free & healthy dialogues, free & healthy exchange of ideas that seeks to understand and accommodate. But they are not. Everyone seems intent to destroy and crush one another.

But then, CoVid19 happened. CoVid19 is a blight but it also gives hope. Because when we were at our most vulnerable, the nation banded together. Everyone of all ethnicity, creed and idealogies.

The nation comes first.
Humans come first.
Kindness and compassion come first.

What is more amazing, it happened right in the middle of a political crisis.
So, there is yet hope for Malaysia.

This youtube vidoe sums it up better than I do.

So, what next for Malaysia after this?

Will we come out of this better?
Will we avoid slipping into the point of no return?
Or is this nation-wide harmonious cooperation just a temporary truce in our ongoing cultural & socio-economic war among us?
Will we stop our tug of war after this or revert to our sectranian & ethnic animosity?

I do not know.

Only you can answer this yourself.