NOVEMBER 28 — So US President Barack Obama was in town last weekend for the 27th ASEAN Summit. This was his second and possibly the last time we see him in Malaysia as president with the conclusion of his second term in office in January 2017. This has been a visit that we are not likely to forget anytime soon.
Most of us chuckled at the Google translated welcome message on the ITIS signboards. Those trapped in four-hour long traffic jams around the Kuala Lumpur main highways had less to chuckle about and cursed the US President’s motorcade (this rarely is an issue for the travel of other heads of state or government when they come visiting). Somehow it felt like Obama was responsible for all KL traffic jams for those few days he was in the country.
He also visited a refugee school and met with civil society leaders. Down the street from the conference area, a demonstration protested the alleged imposition of American business interests through the upcoming TPPA soon to be debated in Parliament. As usual when a US president comes a calling, there is something for everybody.
And one of the things he did while he was in Malaysia was to have a Young South-east Asian Leaders Initiative town hall session at Taylor’s University lakeside campus.
If you haven’t seen that session, take a look. It’s a bit long but I suggest that you take the time to watch Obama in action.
Obama answered a variety of questions, from global politics and good governance to climate change and renewable energy.
It is a rare sight for many of us in Malaysia. To see a politician besides speaking his own mind and hearing only his own voice, listening and being asked questions and even grilled in front of a “live”, and not necessarily friendly audience. Admittedly the questions were not of the kasi hangus variety but those who asked them didn’t pull punches either.
Town hall discussions are a common fare in developed democracies. Open to everybody in the community and held at local communal buildings, it is a forum or platform where everyday citizens are able to generally present ideas, voice their opinions, ask questions of public figures, elected officials, political candidates and in this case, the President of the United States.
A person facing a town hall meeting must be able to think quickly on their feet, to know how to answer and most importantly be seen to engage in a convincing discourse with their audience.
During the 20-month long marathon of a US presidential campaign, a candidate can be expected to do dozens of town hall events. It’s tough and it can often seem to be a Christians vs. lions spectator sport with a bit of schadenfreude on the side.
This is the kind of standard we should demand from our politicians in Malaysia and those who claim to speak in our names and represent our interests.
Aside from Khairy Jamaluddin, who regularly organises town hall meetings with real to and fro discussions (he did one with Ministry of Youth and Sports officials in July and recently did another with Umno Youth members), I cannot think of any other politician from either Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan or Pas who has the guts to stand in front of a large audience and take questions in this format.
Most of our political discourses at the community level are the familiar ceramah politik monologue and retail politics of lawatan rumah ke rumah and sembang kedai kopi.
These methods were relevant and worked when we were an emerging democracy. They worked when we were rebuilding the country from the ashes of the Emergency and racial riots.
But in today’s day and age where both urban and rural citizens have independent access to information, are more informed and aware of issues and concerns at local and national levels, and demand more accountability and responses from their elected representatives, those methods must now include town hall discussions, both “live” and online. These must be held not only during the campaign period of elections but also during the period in which the mandate is given.
One of the reforms credited to David Cameron in reshaping the Conservative brand in the UK has been to prioritise making the political party more accessible, accountable and receptive to the views of the electorate. Town hall meetings were instrumental to this strategy.
Even Indonesian President Jokowi has begun popularising this form of outreach to improve his government’s understanding and positioning on key issues.
But the sad reality is that I see few of our current politicians who have the guts and brains to take on the challenge, much less survive. The calibre and quality that we currently have to work with in our country leaves much to be desired. Just watch the Parliamentary debates (if you can call it that).
Quality and learned speeches and argumentation often come from the Opposition benches. The government side (when points are not prepared by civil servants) is frequently a disappointment. They would put to shame the people who founded this country many of whom were lawyers and well educated individuals, and took pride in being able to argue and debate.
How many of those who sit in Parliament today can actually debate with their political opponents beyond heckling, race, gender and religion baiting, and labelling each other with names of animals from Aesop’s bestiary and Animal Farm? Not many.
Who can forget the infamous Nothing2Hide forum? How about the briefings and ceramahs on current contentious issues where no questions from the audience are allowed. The many briefings from authorities where the standing order is “we talk, you listen and shut up.”
Tengku Adnan’s recent patronising behaviour regarding media coverage of the upcoming Umno GA is a case in point. We need to put a stop to the bodoh sombong attitude that we have tolerated from our politicians for so long.
We must hold our elected representatives to a higher standard and expect more from them, especially if they claim to speak for us and represent our interests and issues.
If they behave as if they are anointed by God and feel entitled to do what they like, it is because we don’t require enough from them. And we let them get away with it.
We cannot afford to be timid, especially with those who we count as our friends. Let’s demand a higher standard of leadership.
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
