Is Malaysia Ready For A Fresh Start In 2015?

By Kyle Glatz --
01 Jan 2015 --

2014 was a year of major headlines concerning religion and religious freedoms in Malaysia. What will 2015 hold for the nation and its people?

As a nation, Malaysia has had a very difficult year in terms of political restlessness as well as religious upheavals. Now, people throughout the country are asking if they are ready to bear witness to a new year which will hopefully be filled with solutions to some of these problems.

Religious Unrest

One of the most concerning aspects of the last year for Malaysia as a nation was the religious problems that they had. They had a significant problem with aggression being displayed against those who deviated from the most common religion of Sunni Islam. There has been violence and intimidation against groups with less representation within the government as well as an increasing rate of religious extremism being exhibited throughout the nation. In fact, there has been a certain sense of “our way or no way” when it comes to mainstream religion and social practices within the country. There are many that hope 2015 will bring a change to this for the people of Malaysia.

Political Upheaval

Along with the actions of the religions which are so deeply divided based on their affiliations have come problems within the central government. There has been an increase in the negative rhetoric that has led to deepening divides within the nation as a whole, and a disturbing willingness to push others aside to put a single party’s agenda above all others. The race to the top has never been more apparent, and the eagerness to put everything on the line for political purposes is a growing sentiment.

What Will Change In 2015 Malaysia?

Yet, even with unsatisfying results in the religious and political sectors of the life, there is hope for a reformed Malaysia in 2015. People all over the nation are seeing this New Year as a new opportunity to reach out to one another and find a sense of community. There is a sense of anticipation for what the message is going to be for those who attend the Prime Minister’s speech to the people in the next week. While some are negatively looking at the speech as a chance for more political consolidation, many people are hopeful that it will be a message for a fresh start in the New Year 2015; a message that time will wait to tell.