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Malaysia 101: Do We Harp On 1Racist in 1Malaysia?

Malaysia 1racist race

(Image source: Hannah Yeoh’s Blog)

Interesting story over theSun titled “A bond which is colour blind” which was a reprint of Pakatan Rakyat’s Hannah Yeoh post titled “Real 1Malaysia”.

But the thing that I wanted to point out is this (from Hannah Yeoh’s blog):-

That encounter had a lasting impression on me. When I came home, I shared this experience with my husband. Ram as he usually would, said something profound to me, “Do you know why they have such a strong friendship?”

“Why?”, I asked.

“It is because they focus on their similarity, they share in their disability”.

Ram can’t be any more true. Discrimination happens when we magnify our differences. Race-based politics is all about highlighting our differences. Instead of celebrating our similarities as Malaysians, we discriminate and highlight our neighbour’s weaknesses and boast of our own strength.

We falsely imagine that we could survive without others.

Now compare that with this latest, twisted posting:-

Bagi saya tiada salahnya kerajaan membantu orang Melayu dan bumiputera kerana itu telah diperuntukkan dalam Perlembagaan.

Perlembagaan pula bukanlah dicipta dan dibentuk sesuka hati tetapi melalui satu proses yang mengambil kira sejarah dan kepentingan kaum pribumi tanpa menafikan hak kaum imigran (saya menggunakan perkataan imigran kerana perkataan pendatang sudah dianggap perkauman oleh sesetengah orang).

(Loosely translated: For me, there is nothing wrong for the government to help the Malays and the natives (note: natives – does it includes Orang Asli? Because Orang Asli’s rights are being screwed upside down for many years now) because it is have allocated for in the Constitution.

The Constitution was not created and shaped to one’s whims and fancy but has gone through a process which takes into account the history (note: which version?) and the rights of the natives (note: does it includes the immigrants from the island of Java?) without denying the right of the immigrants (note: what is the big difference between immigrants from Java and immigrants from India or China?

And what category of those “non natives” who born in Malaysia by several generations will fall into?)

(I use the word immigrant because the word “pendatang” (note: in English it also means immigrant” ) already deemed racial in nature by some people)

Why the cruel division of Malaysians into Malays, Natives and Immigrants? Why harp on the so-called differences?

At end of the day, all Malaysians, regardless of skin colour, culture and religion have one thing in common – the well being of the country and its people. The last thing we want to see is the country in ruin, natural resources abused, public funds plundered and plenty of disunities & distrusts among the people.

Let’s focus on our similarities rather on the differences – let’s not follow the politicians who have nothing to do but to harp on our differences for political mileage.

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