26

What will I do with these four remaining years of my twenties? These are pivotal times, possibly epic. I believe that I have envisioned the love that exists in my life. I can say that I have found an orientation towards my faith, unperturbed by religion, church and society. I have found some form of political framework for thought to help me navigate through the turbulent discussions in the country. I am confident that I am making the right choices for my career.

Before this sharing becomes a case study of some sort, what I have been meaning to say is that despite this perceived stability, I feel a tide rising against these elements in my life. The world that I have come to know have been dropping hints about the need for me to assimilate. I feel that in church, at work, over social networks, et. al., in the course of finding myself, it may be necessary to also begin another process - a defensive process.

I am expressing these things not for the sake of showing solidarity. I am not against the norm or any system in particular. I just find the need to begin defending who I am. This defence begins in my heart, mind and soul. It is to protect the secret places of my heart. It is to protect the deepest hopes in my life. It is to protect the people that I love. The closest things in life are secret. Therefore, like secrets, I seek to protect them.

Truth be told, the biggest personal challenges in my life reside in the church and in the workplace. But nevertheless, I am thinking through these things, in prayer, contemplation and consultation. Similarly, this is how my heart and mind is oriented in these few weeks of birthday thought.

Let this be one heck of a year!

Mathematics

Parliament 

As it has been reported in the press, Barisan Nasional (BN) has won the 13th general elections but suffered their biggest loss of mandate, taking only 133 parliamentary seats, 15 seats short of the desired 2/3 supermajority in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament Lower House) necessary to amend the Constitution. The opposition gained more votes in total, from the 89 seats they won and with the other votes, they managed to wrestle 51% of the popular vote, an increase of 3.2% from the preceding 2008 elections. In terms of popular vote, BN could only afford to be second best with a 47.5% stake in the total vote, a drop of 3.9% from 2008.

In terms of total seats, the opposition gained seven seats in Parliament, at the expense of BN, which lost five. This can be likely attributed to opposition party DAP maintaining its hold on power and increasing their seat count in parliament by 10, at the expense of the MCA, a traditional competitor of the DAP. The MCA lost heavily with eight of its parliamentary candidates losing and has been reduced to only seven elected candidates. This is where the recent term of "Chinese tsunami" finds its ground.

Resulting from the pre-election strategy of reallocating some seats traditionally held by component parties (such as MCA) as well from a minimal swing of Malay voters, Umno, the largest party in the BN coalition saw gains of 10 newly elected MPs from 2008. This also may suggest that the BN, a multiracial coalition to be tremendously politically weighted to its Malay nationalist party Umno, which has been leading the ruling coalition ever since its inception. The strong gains by Umno also shows that it has generally manage to resist the challenge of two other Malay-majority opposition parties - PKR and PAS. While the opposition saw big gains, it was more weighted to DAP than PKR and PAS because the latter two have suffered hairline losses, losing one and two seats respectively from the 2008 elections.

The second largest party in terms of number of elected MPs is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) led by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud with 14 seats in Parliament. Being an undefeated party in the 2013 elections, PBB may be the second accompaniment to the Umno-led coalition. This may also suggest that there will be a surge of Sarawakian MPs also assuming ministerial roles because of PBB's strong showing in gaining public mandate from its rural strongholds in Sarawak.

BN chairman and newly sworn-in Prime Minister Najib Razak has 11 vacancies in his cabinet. The MCA has indicated that they will be not be accepting any ministerial roles, thus giving up the health, transport, housing and local governance and tourism portfolios. The MCA also had ministers without portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Office. While this may be the stand of the MCA as a party, nothing can be certain until the new cabinet line-up is announced in the next few days.

In terms of coalition politics, one can generally conclude that the BN is evidently slanted towards Umno, while one can observe that DAP, although with the most number of elected MPs, with PKR and PAS have a reasonably equitable political stake.

State seats 

From the perspective of the states, the politics in Perak and Terengganu remains the tightest with BN edging the opposition by seat majorities of only 52% and 53% respectively. Meanwhile in Negri Sembilan and Kedah, BN won by a more comfortable majority of eight and six seats respectively. The rest of the states demonstrated largely obvious trends with Perlis with BN controlling 86% of the state assembly seats. BN also commands a 2/3 majority in Melaka (75%), Pahang (71%), Sabah (70%) and Johor (67%).

The opposition made big gains in Selangor and Penang, fortifying their position in the two most urbanized and industrialized states with a majority of 32 (78%) and 20 (70%) seats respectively. Meanwhile in Kelantan, PAS remains in power with a 21-seat majority, commanding 73% of the total seats in the state assembly.

Because of the slim majority, Perak and Terengganu are the most volatile states. After the general election in 2008, 16 by-elections were held, six for parliamentary seats and 10 for state seats. If the trend continues, this fixture of power may be set for future changes. For example, former Kedah MB and PAS politician Datuk Seri Azizan Razak is in a very critical condition and being treated at Penang Hospital. He won Sg Limau state seat at the recently concluded general election. If he conceeds his post due to illness, it may pave the way for fresh polls in the state seat.

Analysis 

The opposition's campaign pledge to fight corruption was popular among urban voters and the Chinese community but failed to move rural votes, an important segment of Malaysian society and traditional vote bank for the BN.

While the opposition's call for change was audible in the urban areas with big turnouts at mega rallies, the political sentiment was not felt in the Malay rural heartland. Political persuasion in the rural areas found strength in casual, house-to-house, kampung, mid-scale meetings and "ceramahs" and at times with BN candidates turning to their incumbency in government to have greater weightage in promising what mattered to their rural electorate (agricultural, fishing support from government). Generally, the rural constituencies were not as sensitive to issues of eradicating corruption and transparent governance but rather the stability of their livelihoods that very much depended on governmental aid and subsidies.

Another pertinent point to be pointed out is on the popular vote, in fact the popular vote is split in the opposition’s favor. According to the Election Commission, BN polled 5.24 million votes to the opposition's 5.62 million votes. While people may take this as an indicator of Malaysia's general trend, it also reflects the outcome of rapid urbanization and how the lines of electoral constituencies are being drawn out. For example, there are almost 128,000 voters in the Selangor parliamentary constituencies of Hulu Langat while only 37000 in Sabak Bernam. Hulu Langat (with proper urban towns like Kajang and Semenyih) saw PAS chalking up victory but Sabak Bernam, which is very rural went to BN. This also brings the question if an urban vote and a rural vote has the same political influence.

While urban sentiment reverberated across the media and Internet, it may be possible that BN had deployed a better rural strategy than PKR. BN, especially Umno and its Sabah/Sarawak parties gave a more relevant message to the Malay/Bumiputra rural voters which maintain its position in securing their mandate and also, their hold on federal and state government.

GE and the Political Imagination

As the tide of a turbulent political season swells to its climax, many have been flocking to this premise to vouch for a multitude of causes. Some have been discreet, some much more obvious. Some are even calling for post-election reconciliation and others see the immense divide of society. I myself have been taken through these narratives and at the height of all the feelings, motivation and hope, I have found it useful to begin deconstructing this mammoth sentiment that has come to envelope us so that we can find this mutual association as Malaysians. I am here to argue that our ontological roles as political Malaysians have never been so similar.

The reason why it is useful for one to assume such an ontological approach to understanding our political selves is because it will help us process the influx of data, removing a lot of its semantics so that proper thought can be developed. This will help in creating a culture of political reasoning that can act to defend the mind and inspire proper and effective action for the benefit of the nation. This argument does not try to stipulate whether there is lack of thought in our political imagination but rather to animate a much needed discussion and criticism in a season of political swell.

As we go to polls on Sunday, many of us will have some form of political imagination etched on to our minds, a romantic imagination, an imagination spurred by revolt or an imagination that comes to the defence of the status quo. One can argue that it is necessary to process our political condition to bring purpose to its existence in our lives as Malaysians. In following the political trends, I have found several blind spots.

Firstly, the two major themes of GE13 have been encircling around a basic ambition of forming government. There has been a severe lack of thought around the role of forming opposition. In fact, it can be a dangerous ground when political polemics strives to see the exhortation of the victor to form government and the destruction of the loser from the face of Malaysian politics. This tune of defeat that is aimed at adversaries is not conducive for the democratic process because we need to care for the formation of an opposition with an equal sense of justice and integrity to hold the government accountable.

Secondly, while the imagination of victory is potent, it is equally, if not more important, to embark on a less sensational thought - the purpose of victory. I am sure that being a voting Malaysian is more than the call for good governance, change or stability. Could it be that the purpose of going to the polls is to fuel the hope that Malaysia will continue to find its identity as a "democracy" (Super disputed subject). In his journal article, "Liberal Democracy and the Limits of Democratization", social theorist David Beetham gives definition to democracy as "a mode of decision-making about collectively binding rules and policies over which the people exercise control". This definition helps to lead us towards an even more fundamental question - Is this what we want? As a developing Southeast Asian economy, would this model be the best for us? Dan lain-lain.

Thinking deeply about politics uncovers a multi-dimensional political condition, it educates us that there us more purpose to our politics as to how we perceive it now. In the pursuit of our hopes and dreams for this country, maybe the secret towards becoming a more mature political entity lies in the reconsidering our conflicting allegiances, the rethinking our political imagination and the exploration of universal themes such as truth and justice so much to the point that it pits us against our own kind.

Political identity like many identities are paradoxical. Because we consume and subscribe, it should be our duty to process these things in thought, word and deed.

Novus Sententia

My season of Easter begins with a very radical thought about faith. It is greeting me with a neo-liberal poise that challenges the Christian modernity. To first establish what this means, the Christian modernity is the current (institutional, spiritual, ethical, political, et. al) paradigm of the Christian religion embraced by its secular and clerical adherents. My argument in this work is that there is very little thought that exists in the Christian modernity on the whole and something needs to be done about it. My purpose for writing this is to engage thought about faith - to think about the thinking. If possible, I do not intend to venture into an argument about Christian denominations and practices. Instead, I would want to explore if there is much thinking done by adherents of the religion (the more romantic would tend to call it faith, "relationship" and so on).

My observation of Christians begins with the struggle over sin and unrighteousness. The festivity of Easter is that yearly respite because of its annual reminder that Christ has triumphed over sin and we have been forgiven. As a child, I recall being introduced to the identity of Christ as a saviour that has came to heal a broken world. As I was growing up, I had the ideal-typical challenges that very often brought me to such an orientation towards Christ - the saviour, the healer and deliverer, the redeemer. I still see that character of Christ taking very central roles in the propagation and affirmation of the faith in most Christian movements, beginning with my new-found fad, Anglicanism, and in many free-worship ministries led by many personalities to name a few: Philip Yancey, Rob Bell, Joseph Prince, Kong Hee, Prince Gunaretnam and Nicky Gumbel.

However, I am alighting from this theme that a lot of people share. This orientation of my faith is slowly realigning itself. Lent 2013 was when I begin feeling that recalibration from an intellectual-spiritual level. Let me clarify that I do not think that conventional doctrine is wrong. I just feel deeply in my heart that there are more useful and valuable purposes of thinking about faith differently than as they are now. Here are the main thoughts about Christian modernity that fuels my criticism (it usually goes in a three-step process):

1. Christianity is about God
2. Christianity is about the empowerment of the person (or His people) to begin thinking about truth
3. Press on and challenge things, learn from mistakes

It would be tremendously more useful to place central theme of Christianity around the premise of (1) and (2), compared to the vanity of the believer (sinful nature, redeemed by the grace of God, Christian prosperity principles, healing and deliverance). I am using this thought process against the usual case-study of current Christian teachings:

1. There is a problem with life (self and world problems)
2. Christ fills the gap - we follow suit, inspired also (at times) by preachers and writers
3. Happy

Alas, I would hypothesise that many may not widely accept this aspiration to begin thinking because of the nature of this world, driven by its needs and theological quick fixes. It would be more useful for me to create this discourse about thought and explore why others rather subject their faith to the leadership of institutions or the above said themes in their lives. Aspiring for that ultimate reality, making the same mistakes over and over and not arriving at a deeper, more intimate discovery about who God REALLY is.

Before I forget, Novus Sententia, is Latin for "New Purpose". This is my prayer for religion.

Good Friday

Happy Good Friday and the whole lot. As we have been conscious Christians together for a while now, I am sure that we are already familiar with the ongoings in church and the similar messages that are usually retold year after year.

Truth to be told, ever since I took a different dive into my faith as I have expressed to you in previous emails, it was only a natural thing that I would want something different this year. For very long, I realised a sense of vanity (not the arrogant kind but the "self" kind) in our celebration of this series of events.

This is because for me, I have been trained in my religion and faith to treat this ultimate journey of Jesus as a rise from defeat towards that brilliance of victory in his resurrection. But as I am beginning to not pit evil on the same level playing field as the good, or rather satan with God (we really shouldn't), the outlook of Christ took a very dramatic change in my Good Friday this year.

Usually I am first drawn to review my sinful nature, revisit the betrayal and sufferings of Christ and how he was defeated before coming again in Easter in full glory. I realised it isn't the best narrative.

It all began on Thursday when I was led to John 13. So the disciples were told that "one of you is going to betray me (Jesus)… it is the one whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish".

Ok. No change there. But when he gave the bread to Judas, he took it and "satan entered him" (remember not to put Christ and satan as equal conceptual opposites), Jesus told "What you are about to do, do it quickly".

That utterance changed everything for me.

While I may not understand the eventual "possession of Judas" (not really the point here but unfortunately, it is usually a common focus), I got a closer view of Jesus telling Judas to go do what he was going to do quick. Christ was brilliant then already - there were no signs that defeat and death was inevitable. Christ's sights to head to the cross was absolutely clear that he had to instruct Judas to "go and betray him".

I think in this season, it would be more useful to bank on this brilliance rather than analyse again the betrayal from a point of view of a tragedy. The death of Jesus was never a tragedy but rather a necessity.

The sacrifice of Christ to me today has ceased to be an annual observance for the redemption of our souls. This is because, it has been instructed for us to "do, as OFTEN as you drink it in remembrance of me" (1 Cor 11:25). Therefore, it should be as often an observance for us.

Today, I view this week at the passion of the Christ as THE passion of the Christ. It was the God-like determination in a mortal paradigm to face necessary death and wasn't afraid.

Thus, today I am inspired because Christ was first inspired.

I pray that you would seek and find these truths in your very special way this weekend.

Ah Ma

Just got off the phone with my Ah Ma.

My 80+ year-old Ah Ma and I have a very unspoken love as I am a struggling Cantonese. It is not an easy task to see that expressions take verbal form. But this love is very simple and happy. My grandma is always is there taking my side even when I don't call because I forget or am not good enough to take effort to try and bridge the gap.

You see, we find ourselves lost in translation. But we find it such a joyous occasion every time we call because it is within that thick, unexpressable pile of messages where this love is dense and deeply encrypted. That said, the fact that she breaks into a laughter every time I falter in my Cantonese is a good enough indication that she is more than glad to hear of me - whether she understands it or not.

I will drive down to visit her in April. Can't wait. Tonight I wonder about her as she hung up to rest in her room all by herself in prayer. There are these thoughts, about the past, her twilight years and the inherent complexities stemming from the typical Malaysian Chinese family that had partially transcended from Taoism to Christianity. Yet she remains unperturbed despite these turbulence and tells me this:

"耶稣是我的父亲. 他很照顾我." Jesus is my father. He takes care of me

For a while she closed all the intellectual doors around me. She has that charm. Then she breaks into a two-minute song about how great God is to tell me and asks me if it was good. I had no choice but to say yes. HAHA... But I did sincerely love it. She's just great. So awesome that I don't want to extrapolate from this encounter with an analysis. This says it all!

I can't wait to see her again next month.

Gone

Needed to blog this.

I lost a whole load of sentimental items when they all got wet and unattended to when I was in the UK, which led to a lot of these things being moldy and had to be thrown away. It was a horror of a discovery but to my surprise, I did not feel what I expected I would have felt. I am evolving. I have become less of a romantic. Feelings influence me in a lesser capacity now because in the recent months, I have learnt to be more enlightened.

Another short post. Life in Penang is hitting a very slow... slow... pace.