As I was flipping The Star Sunday, I came across this column by Raja Zarith Idris about the importance of we Malaysians seeing each other as "we" rather than seeing one another as "them" and "us", clearly pointing to the worseing racial segregation lately made worse by the racial politics perpetuated by irresponsible parties to gain political milegae.
Raja Zarith Idris is a Royal Fellow, School of Languages and Linguistics, University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and whose father is the late Sultan Idris Shah of Perak.
I long for the long-ago times of my childhood and teenage years when we could make fun of each other without worrying if it would lead to a racial skirmish.
We used to identify each other according to which state we came from, not our races, not our religions. As foreign students, we had a bond because we met up at events organised by what we called ourselves: the Malaysian Students Association.
As a Malaysian, born and bred, I am honestly sick and tired of the print media constantly bringing up race and religious matters.
Our hearts and minds should not be simmering with a fire stoked by racially- and religious-conscious speakers and journalists but by the strong hopes that we can overcome any crisis together because we are Malaysians and we have gone through a lot since the time the Portuguese came to our shores centuries ago.
I’m on the same page as Raja Zarith too and I can truly feel her frustration in wake of the racial widening from politicians, individuals and organisations with their respective agendas.
It’s a timely reminder to curb the worsening racial divide which is taking place in our domestic scenes. If Malaysians regardless of race, religion and cultural belief managed to come together as one to gain independence from the British, I’m wondering why after 50 years of being Malaysians, the racial tension index is gaining foothold from time to time?
Suffice to say, amidst the global economic crisis and its shoddy outlook, for us to wade through the worst economic storm as predicted by naysayers out there, it’s imperative for us to treat each other with due respect as a singular identity of anak bangsa Malaysia. Anything less than that is a disaster in making which we can’t afford experience, in which if racial sensitiveness not being given its utmost care and tremendous consideration from each and every Malaysian, our strength of pillar in the name of national unity will be under pervasive threat.
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For far too long, we the ordinary rakyat have been divided by the politicians who are making this heavenly place into hell.
It is so easy for them to become an instant hero when they champion for their own race, regardless of the consequences.
So, we have been reading everyday about politicians championing this and that:
NEP, religion, constitutional rights,etc.
Will they change and will there be a dawn of a new era?
http://www.kingsmary.blogspot.com/
Its so awful how the notion of race is being used by the politicians. The important thing here is that Malaysians understand themselves as Malaysians and though we are different in race, that is what makes us special.
Malaysia is so unique in the eyes of the international community because we are able to live together harmoniously in the same country. We should really keep it that way.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Is outcome of Munawar’s appeal indicative of what we can expect from Zaki Azmi…new Boss of the Malaysian Judiciary
Chief Justice Zaki Azmi beginning to throw his true colours…
Will he be able to be INDEPENDENT of UMNO and his past friends, and be able to be concerned only with justice…
Will he be a progressive judge only concerned with JUSTICE – not fearful of developing the law so that justice be done…or will he just remain a tool of UMNO and his ‘old friends’.
Also noted that Zaki Azmi was a businessman with involvement in a string of companies – and if so, he must recuse himself from any case involving those companies and/or related companies or even companies whereby his once fellow member of the Board of Directors or management is involved.
we must be proud to our country…………..
thanks to god cuz our world is prevent from any disease, and any wars……..