Leaping out of the "box": Can we do it?

I have stumbled upon a new buzzword: skyboxification. Since I love the way it sounds and feeling an inch cleverer when uttering the word but knows nothing of what it means, I did what other one billion people worldwide would do when they're too lazy to reach for the nearly fossilised dictionary. I Google it.

Skyboxification was coined by Michael Sandel, professor of political philosophy at Harvard, to describe the "physical and social disassociation of the wealthy from traditionally public forums that provided a setting for civil discourse". Quite a mouthful really, yet so relevant. While Sandel would integrate the meaning to the American life's setting, I'd like to apply it closer to home.

Firstly, what the hell is skyboxification?

When Sandel coined the word, he was referring it to luxury boxes at sports arena or stadiums "which cosset the privileged in air-conditioned suites, far removed from the crowd below". He's relating it to how public spaces and amenities are deliberately designed to create societal gap between the rich and the lesser beings.

Skyboxification exists in every part of the world and in every society. While I may not vouch the term to other society in other countries, I'd like to see how far this skyboxification has been practised in this country or where people of different backgrounds and incomes can interact or co-exist.

After learning what it means, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to identify skyboxification. Stadiums and sports arena aside, we can see this at banks too. While there may not be a skybox or a grandstand in banks, they do have VIP room for their platinum guests. One can easily bypass the long queue at the counters if one has the bucks.

In KLCC, there's even a designated premier washroom located on designers items floor where you'll get to pee amidst the tranquilising smell of aromatherapy oils. There are lotions and potions of yummy-smelling stuff for you to lather and spray yourself with, ensuring that you walk out of the loo smelling fresh and not foul. And you'll never be short of toilet paper either, a rarity in other free washrooms. And don't get me started on public toilets!

Sandel, however, did not stop there. He went on to say that we need to apply the bedrock of forming civic discourse, which largely believe to be the foundation of a democratic process. In Malaysia's context, democratic aside, civic discourse is not an impossible feat to achieve. Let's flip our minds to a different side of the coin and we can actually see that we are, somehow, already building that civic discourse, whether we realise it or not.

Malaysia is built on a myriad of cultures and ethnic groups. While there are some rabble rousers (politicians included) go on dividing the people with boorish statements and rude lies, the nation still stands as one. This is already civic discourse in the works. There are endless campaigns shepherding students to be more involved with the community, corporations engaging in civic engagement through their social responsibility programmes, and neighbours indulging in gotong-royong. From these littlest steps that we can start ambling our way into integrating Sandel's skyboxification into Malaysian life.

He suggested that we start with forming public amenities where all level of men and women, the young and the old can integrate and co-exist. Public libraries, eateries, recreational centre, gyms, playgrounds, parks and health clinics. To build a pluralistic society is paramount because without it, we lose the essence of education and democracy: the power of free expression.