Thread by @IMMikhailHafiz

Our nation building initiative is a Dickens-esque "tale of two narratives", with ethnoreligious nationalist parties pursuing a tone deaf, tribalistic "Malay unity" approach, while civil society opts for a more inclusive #BangsaMalaysia conceit. @NatAsasi

thestar.com.my/opinion/column…

"LAST weekend, most eyes were on the Umno General Assembly, where we saw a lot of fierce rhetoric that began full of fire and brimstone, and ended in the tepid waters of the status quo."

"Despite all the posturing, Umno decided that it would keep all the benefits it had reaped from supporting the present government instead of resigning in protest and focusing on battling Bersatu in the next general elections."

"That same Saturday morning however, another summit was taking place. Smaller in terms of its profile, but in my humble view, vastly more significant and exciting in terms of its vision.

This was the Bangsa Malaysia Summit, organised by Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim)."

"Abim’s Bangsa Malaysia journey began in 2019, at their own general assembly, which I had the privilege of attending."

"I remember being surprised that this Muslim-Malay youth movement (who some saw as having a conservative bent) would be championing such a multicultural, multiracial concept."

"It’s not uncommon for people less familiar with the organisation to only link it to its famous past president, Anwar Ibrahim, or to think of Islamist organisations like them as having narrow-minded views."

"Abim however has recently been very consistent in driving a vision for Malaysia that is actually very refreshing – a vision that is starting to capture the imagination of Malaysians looking for a way out of the morass that our nation finds itself in."

"The key problem with Malaysian politics is that every single major political party is stuck deep in mud.

Worse yet, instead of working together to find a way out that benefits the rest of the country, all they are doing is focusing on slinging that same mud at one another."

"Moving Malaysia forward requires a shared vision, a shared identity, and shared values that can bind the nation together.

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’m personally done waiting for politicians to emerge from that mud to lead us in that direction."

"The idea of Bangsa Malaysia is a concept that can provide these things. It emphasises our similarities rather than our differences, and what brings us together rather than what drives us apart."

In the words of ABIM President Faisal Aziz, “The unifying values of Bangsa Malaysia should include a united front against poverty, corruption, and conflict, as well as a shared resolve to protect and raise the dignity of all Malaysians. (cont'd below)

These shared values are the bases of the middle road that will keep our nation from falling into either the pitfalls of assimilation on one hand, or segregation and division on the other.”

"To this end, they are pushing hard this year to realise the vision of a Bangsa Malaysia based on Cosmopolitan Islam – an understanding of Islam that is rooted in the vast and inclusive cosmopolitan heritage of Islam in Southeast Asia."

Nazir commented on how Cosmopolitan Islam is a powerful narrative that can underpin Bangsa Malaysia, and said, “We stand to gain the most if we make diversity work in our favour, and if our society is inclusive as well as collaborative across borders of identity.”

"I had the fortune of joining Faisal on an Astro Awani interview (bit.ly/AwaniBangsaMsi…) that aired last Wednesday night, along with President of the Gerakan Belia Sikh Malaysia Gurpreet Singh to discuss these issues."

"If you watch the video closely, you might notice Gurpreet wearing an Abim band around his turban.

To me, this seemingly small symbol of solidarity actually symbolises the seeds of something much bigger."

"Others, perhaps politicians in particular, might shy away from showing such overt signs of support for an organisation that is ethnically and religiously so different from their own."

"Gurpreet however clearly saw wearing the symbol of a Muslim organisation on his Sikh turban not as something that diluted his own Sikh identity, but a symbol of strength, solidarity, and confidence in that identity."

"In the Awani interview, we were asked how these ideals from civil society might be transferred into government."

"This is a complex question with multilayered answers; but I think it’s safe to say that the answers with the most potential may be emerging from civil society itself, not the sectors most Malaysians are used to paying attention to."

"If Malaysia is willing to look beyond old models, and give emerging actors and new ideas a chance, our shared future as Bangsa Malaysia may be very bright indeed."

NATHANIEL TAN works with Projek Wawasan Rakyat (POWR). Twitter: @NatAsasi , Clubhouse: @Nathaniel_Tan , Email: [e-mail] . #BangsaMalaysia #NextGenDemocracy . The views expressed here are the writer's own.

For those of you who are unable to access the article online, here is the screenshot, courtesy of @projek57 's Colin Swee. Many thanks. 🙏🏽