Ministers, ministries told to amplify ‘Rancakkan Madani’, ‘Bekerja Madani’ – but just what is Madani?

Slogans and politics are synonymous. During election campaigns and in governing nations, politicians around the world subscribe to catchphrases they believe will inspire people, instil national pride, and create a harmonious society.

It is no different in Malaysia. Previous prime ministers have coined slogans or themes that best fit their agendas. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in the later part of his first term leading the country, spoke about Wawasan 2020 (Vision 2020). It was a vision of a futuristic Malaysia, where schoolchildren drew flying cars and mega structures – their idea of a progressive nation.

Then came 1Malaysia: Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan (People First, Performance Now), and later Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family). When Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took over Putrajaya following the 2022 general election, the term Malaysia Madani was introduced. It got off to a rough start simply because:

i. Most Malaysians did not (and still do not) understand what Madani means. ii. Madani is an acronym of words that do not even begin with the respective first letters. For example, the ‘M’ stands for ‘keMampanan’ (sustainability), while the letter ‘a’ comes from ‘kesejAhteraan’ (prosperity).

According to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia’s guardian of the Malay language, madani means advanced in thought, spirituality and material wellbeing. However, madani isn’t exactly a word used in daily conversations, much like the English word bumfuzzle.

In recent days, the social media accounts of ministers, ministries and government agencies have featured the hashtags – #RancakkanMADANI and #MADANIBekerja. It is understood the instruction came from the Prime Minister’s Office, in a bid to liven up the Malaysia Madani campaign.

Any effort to energise a campaign must start with the basics – ensuring that the audience truly understands what the campaign is about. Here is a situation where civil servants to students struggle to provide a straight answer about what Madani actually means, let alone recall its six core values:

According to the Malaysia Madani website, the mission is to “transform Malaysia into a more prosperous and developed country based on the six Madani values through trust between the government and the people, a policy of transparency and cooperation”.

That’s a mouthful. And there are just too many words, trying very hard to cover as much ground as possible. It is similar to Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson describing the taillights of a Mazda RX-8 – “they are busier than a bishop’s hat!”

While it is too late to introduce a new slogan, especially when politicians are gearing up for a looming general election, Putrajaya can still approach its Madani campaign from the bottom up. Start with schools and communities. Ensure these groups understand what Madani truly means and how its core values will help the unity government in its quest to create a prosperous, progressive and united nation.

Hashtags alone are insufficient. And for someone like X owner Elon Musk, hashtags are an “aesthetic nightmare.”

Let’s go back to basics.

For more information about Malaysia Madani, visit its website at https://malaysiamadani.gov.my/pengenalan/.