ASPIRATION & UNITY

Aspiration and unity. That is what makes up 1Malaysia as a driving force for the nation’s new government initiative to bring together the many races that make up Malaysia. Yet, how effective is this government concept? In order for us to look to the future, we must look to the past. In 1954, Tunku Abdul Rahman, one of our earliest Prime Ministers lead a delegation to London to seek independence for Malaya. For many, independence was a way to free the country from foreign powers that held Malaysia in its grasps. Many did not realize though that with the absence of these foreign powers, the country would be governed by its own people, mainly the many races that make up the nation. With these three main races comprising of the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians, the country of Malaysia was formed giving it a diversely ethnic view by outsiders. On May 13th, 1969, a devastating riot and inter-communal violence took place that shook the nation to its core despite receiving urges as well as public announcements from the government for all races to stand united. Fast forward 40 years into the future. The year is 2009 and the government has created a concept called 1Malaysia urging the citizens of Malaysia regardless of ethnicity to join together to become a nation under one flag. Does this not sound familiar? Have we not tried this approach 40 years ago?

Malaysia may not be as young and inexperienced as it once was, yet the citizens by all accounts seem to make it so. There are still illegal demonstrations being held by individual ethnic races. There are still many demeaning titles still being used to describe other races. Racism will always be a part of Malaysia no matter if it’s 1969 or 2009. The very idea of a nation that is made up of several different races to be joined hand-in-hand is a preposterous concept. Political parties are even divided into ethnic groups and as before are still vying for control of the nation. If the government itself cannot hope to unite its parliamentary leaders under one governing party regardless of ethnicity, how can the people ever hope to save itself from the typical conformity that is racism? Ethnic racism will always be an intricate part of Malaysian culture. Without racism, the main races that make up Malaysia will just be a bland and colorless mix of people. It is the ethnic difference of these races that makes Malaysia interesting and colorful. Holidays in Malaysia are primarily an important time in the calendars of every race in the country. The Malays celebrate Hari Raya, the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year and the Indians celebrate Thaipusam as well as many other different sub-holidays respectively. These holidays are an excuse for people to congregate and for different ethnic races to mingle around with one another. Yet, at a miniscule sub-level of racism, these ethnic races pride themselves in their celebrations and rarely do they share it with other races. Because of this fact, the celebrations are kept personal and interesting. Imagine if the celebrations were to be made a multi-racial celebration with Chinese New Year sharing similarities with Thaipusam. It would not be a personal and emotionally prideful event. Malaysians pride themselves at being private and the only time that they allow themselves to be referred to in a group is when people are referring them as on nation which are Malaysians.

Up until this day and age, they pride themselves at being referred to by their individual respective races. When a government form is to be filled out, one of the compulsory questions needing to be filled is race. This just goes to show that at a certain level, the government is not yet ready to unite Malaysians under one nation. In a nutshell, Malaysians are a racist bunch of people. And because of that racism they are a better at who they are and what they do thus making the country into what it is today: a third world country that is fast approaching their goal for vision 2020. It is possible to achieve the country’s mission, but it is not possible to disperse the ethnic races and build them again as one nation without racism. Besides, Malaysians do share one common celebration and that is the public holidays.