AT THE recent 12th Session International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on June 12, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong called for the renewal or rejuvenation of the social contract between all segments of the society to advance the progress of human development.

He said the new social contract should empower the young and old, men and women, the disabled and all races and religions.

He referred to how the Madani government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has applied the principle of governance that was practised in the city of Madinah during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

Since Sim touched on the subject matter of social contract, it will be interesting to see how he will apply it to examine the relationship between the different social, ethnic and religious segments in the Malaysian society.

Does he agree with the way the social contract in Malaysia is defined and formulated in the Malaysian context?

While it is fine to empower the social contract between workers and employers, what about the relationship between the different ethnic and religious groups in the country?

There is an accepted norm as to how the social contract between the Malays and non-Malays was defined on the eve of political independence of the country.

Re-thinking existing social contract?

This seems to be the basis on how the ruling parties have functioned in the country since the time of political independence.

The social contract between the Malays and non-Malays is defined as the former respecting the rights of non-Malays as citizens, the right to use their languages, customs and culture whereas the latter respects the rights of Malays as Bumiputera, their special rights, the position of the Malay rulers and the special position of the Malay language as the national language.

Is the above social contract defined in the Malaysian context accepted to Sim? Or alternatively, is Sim advocating a social contract that is in keeping with social, economic and political developments over the decades?

Well, if social contract between workers and employers should be re-defined and re-constituted, the same thing should be applicable to the social contract between the different ethnic groups in the country.

Is Sim prepared to call for the re-thinking of social contract in the employment realm be equally applied to the relationship between various ethnic and religious groups in the country?

Sim is fully aware that there is an official version of social contract between the Malays and non-Malays in the country. Would his call for re-defining the social contract among the races be regarded as a challenge to those in power bent on upholding the present form of social contract?

Upholding social contract

If Anwar could ward off questions on opening up of the pre-university matriculation programme to non-Malays as a need to protect the social contract, is Sim prepared to challenge to Anwar on his version of the social contract?

Sim should know that upholding the existing social contract or rejuvenating it cannot be confined to the workplace. As he himself said in his opening speech at the ILC, the concept of social contract is a broad one encompassing various social segments.

As a responsible politician and Human Resource Minister, Sim should be careful in his application of the term social contract.

Even in the workplace, social contract is devoid of meaning if the relationship between labour and capital is based on power and class relationship.

Re-defining or re-formulating social contract might not be sufficient to dislodge power and class exploitation.

Similarly, the re-defining the social contract between the ethnic groups is not sufficient to dislodge the way power and politics are embedded in the system.

Sim as a politician should not forget that his party DAP has given up the idea of challenging the existing social contract between the ethnic groups in return for power, positions and perks.

Sim might project an image of an egalitarian in the international scene but when it comes to the local Malaysian context, he is just a “chicken”.

So much for the social contract coming from a politician like Sim who is devoid of credentials in supporting the long-term cause of the discriminated working class in the country. - July 17, 2024

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/is-hr-minister-sim-prepared-to-apply-his-rejuvenated-social-contract-notion-among-malaysias-various-ethnic-groups/