TODAY is the first day of 2012. For some, the revelry of
last night's countdown still lingers. For others, this is just the beginning of
yet another day.
There is nothing magical about
the calendar year, save for the fact that it puts some organisation and
predictability into our lives.
And so, without fail, we make
resolutions to help us navigate through the new year, knowing full well that
fulfilling them is another matter altogether.
If our own discipline fails us,
we can always declare that the best-laid plans can go awry due to factors
beyond our control.
Be that as it may, this is
still a day for quiet reflection on what lies ahead for us collectively as a
nation of people.
The 13th general election, in
all likelihood, will be held sometime this year, even if the current
government's term of office officially ends in March 2013.
So we can predict that this
will be a very political year indeed. Some say the silly season is already upon
us.
The heat generated in any
election is bound to rise a few degrees but for the political process in this
country to fully mature, we must resist being made pawns of the protagonists,
whatever their political affiliation, in their quest for power.
As concerned citizens, we
should all be involved in the political process. But we must also understand
that politics is more than just casting our votes.
It involves our participation
in the governance of this land, our desire to right the wrongs, to remember the
marginalised, to promote transparency and accountability, to seek goodwill
among all citizens of this blessed land of ours. And this is a lifelong
mission, not only for selected days of the year.
We start by teaching the
politicians how to disagree without being disagreeable and how to be bipartisan
on issues that affect us all.
To the world at large, we
proudly declare that we are a shining example of a multi-ethnic,
multi-religious, multi-cultural nation. We are moderate in our approach and our
difference is our strength.
Yet time and again, we see,
closer to home, how individuals and groups accentuate these differences,
seeking to tear us apart instead of bringing us together.
May this be the year when we
say no to such antics.
The battle for hearts and minds
is in our hands. It is in the way we live our lives, as individuals or in a
community, when we seek to help and build up one another.
May this be our resolution for
2012. Happy New Year!
The Star
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