DECEMBER 31 — 2017 was sort of a year for comebacks.
For some of us, it was the return of the fear of all things nuclear, as if we were back in the days of the Cold War again.
In January, the Doomsday Clock that shows us how close we are to man-made global catastrophe was moved to two and a half minutes to midnight. It was the second closest approach to midnight that humankind has ever faced since 1952 when the United States tested its first thermonuclear device, followed by the Soviet Union.
We also saw the return of white nationalists and Nazis to the forefront of Western politics, as they struggled with the worldwide refugee situation.
Things were slightly more amusing with comebacks on the musical front. We were blessed with comeback albums by punk and hardcore legends Glassjaw and At the Drive-In; both had not released any new material in at least over a decade.
There were also less successful comebacks this year by names you would only remember if you had gone through the nu metal phase: Incubus, Papa Roach, 311, Powerman 5000, Evanescence.
It certainly felt like we were somewhere circa 2002 all over again.
In Zimbabwe, we had Robert Mugabe finally forced to step down after 20 years as president and previously seven years as prime minister.
And in Malaysia? We suddenly have Dr Mahathir Mohamad dominating the discourse — and in a twist of irony — dictating the direction of the Opposition some 15 years after he stepped down as the country’s longest-serving prime minister.
With the Opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan looking more shaky than ever, this has inevitably turned some youths off politics, with some vowing to not even vote or to spoil the ballot.
After all, there is nothing here for them. Both sides are failing to offer them fresh policies that would directly benefit them, choosing instead to play the populist role. There is no political will from any side to embrace a more progressive worldview, to move on with the times; instead both sides are playing to the majority that forms their vote bank.
When you add Dr Mahathir into the equation, the apathy is understandable. And yet, their silent protest has been mocked, jeered at, and dismissed by some in the Opposition and their supporters.
But 2018 will also likely see a paradigm shift for the young. You can hear the ground starting to rumble with the steps taken by them to mobilise and band together.
The momentum has been building up since at least 2014, and this year we saw the birth of Malaysia Muda, another movement to whip up political awareness and solidarity among the young.
But the feelings have never felt so strong: that it is time to reject a traditional form of political structure, to cease faith in the same elites who have dominated this country’s political game, and to present a fresh political ideology and agenda that not only looks to the future, but embraces it.
Whichever way the country goes after GE14, it could be a fertile ground for civil society.
If Barisan Nasional keeps power, then we would likely see the coalition move to consolidate its power within, and with their position secure, would likely abandon for a while any extreme rhetoric designed to secure support from the status quo that has all this while choked and demonised human rights movements.
If Pakatan Harapan takes over, it would be more than willing to gain favour with the public and try to show how different it is from its rival predecessor. It would seek to bring hope, and things could get better for society.
Regardless, we could see some movements take root. 2018 will be the time for groups that represent minorities to further shine, like the Pelangi Campaign that has been nominated for this year’s 2017 human rights award.
We could even see the return of sexuality awareness movement Seksualiti Merdeka, or maybe the coalescence of the nascent humanist and freethinkers advocacy efforts.
Civil society should take stock from the women’s rights and feminism movement which has had considerable success this year in reclaiming its space, especially online, through the strengthening of the civil society network and more co-ordinated efforts.
2018 could be the year when Malaysia pushes to discard the notion that other genders are inferior to men, or that some factions of society are more equal than others, or that there is only one way to live our lives, and abandon the thought that men in funny hats have the absolute authority over national issues.
There should be no second-class citizens in this country and to make that happen, we only need to use our political leverage that has been presented to us in 2018.
It is all too easy to lose that flicker of hope and joy, but to quote several cliches, even at the darkest hour, this too shall pass. So we move forward, always.
Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing you on the other side.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
