Green Labour Alternative Is The Way Forward For Malaysia

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THE Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue welcomes the statement by Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar that with ethnic issues at play the party would stay out of Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin’s recently-announced loose coalition.

The PSM chairman is absolutely right since the primary actors in the coalition are made up of tired faces of racial politics which are regressive and inimical to an alternative vision of Malaysia that is related to clean and good governance—one that focuses on the dynamics of labour and the environment which transcends the narrow sectarian interest.
To date Perikatan Nasional (PN) has not come with a vision of governance that is transformative where solidarity and common good is given importance in policy-making.

It has not come up with structural alternative economic policies that would emancipate the poor and struggling middle class.
PN has no alternative vision of institutions of justice that would be independent of the executive branch of government.
Nothing has been spoken about the fight against corruption and the approach that will be used that defers completely from the current unity government.
The importance of meeting sustainable development goals and how PN would empower the labour force and create a sustainable green economy has yet to be explicitly stated as well.
What the Malaysian nation needs today is a new and dynamic vision of a green -labour coalition that incorporates the good in the right and the left ideology without being confined to any single ideological cocoon.

The principle of a green economy that respects the integrity of creation and labour that represents all, since everyone is a labourer in their own profession should be the foundation in building a Malaysia that is progressive.
In this vision of green labour alternative the enhancement of human capital development rooted in equity and the environment determines the economic outcome and not the other way round.
It is hoped that the younger Malaysians could envision a green labour movement as an alternative to the ethno-religious-centric politics that currently dominates the nation.

In this context the decision of PSM not to be part of the PN loose coalition makes sense.
Ronald Benjamin is a human resources practitioner based in Ipoh. He is currently secretary of the Association for Community and Dialogue.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia

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