It has taken me a long time to forget that the Chinese
are a pork eating, money obsessed and idol worshipping people. To many Malays
the Chinese are still that! To the Chinese the Malays are easy going (if they
are being kind!), lazy (if the Chinese are talking amongst themselves!) race of
people with a ‘tidak apa’ attitude and bogged down with religious dogma - all negative connotations of each
other not helped by a Barisan Government that emphasize rather then try to
eliminate these sweeping generalizations. The other races all have their
perceptions of the defining traits of each other and all are not complimentary
of each other.
All this will become irrelevant when we think of
ourselves as Malaysians first. But how can this be possible when Muhyiddin thinks
himself a Malay first and a Malaysian second? I will tell you how…education! I
am sure his children, if not his children’s children will think of themselves
as being Malaysians first! So all is not lost….but we need patience!
Is there a fear amongst the Malays that a diversified
ethnicity will result in people who will not be loyal to Malaysia? Just
because the Chinese eat Peking Duck and the Indians Vindaloo are they less
loyal to Malaysia? I have yet to see the Chinese demonstrate or parade down
Jalan TAR holding aloft the flags of China or the Indians holding celebration
on India’s national Day! Even amongst the Malays we celebrate our Bugis or
Javanese roots and the rivalry between the Malays from different states
sometimes do get heated – as any die hard football fan will testify!
I agree that our country is not
perfect. It is like your family. It does not matter if other families are
better – you will still love your family because it is yours. But love have its
limits and we need to have change before we lose too many of our own
people to others that welcome them with open arms and give them hope of a
better future for their children.
Yes .......it is sometimes impossible when you are battling
daunting odds to always do the right thing. At times it is so much easier to
go with the flow. Much easier for a Malay to go with UMNO which promises a future
where “Ketuanan Melayu” might be possible! Where the Malays are the Government
in power and in control of all things Malaysians – so much easier to do what we
want to ensure that the Malays remain in control of the Army, the Police and
the economy! Where there is nothing the other races can do to
push the Malays around!
But look where it has got us! Look around you and ask
yourself if we have any Malay leaders that we can be proud of? Who are the
Malays Pahlawan or warriors that we can look up to? Yesterday I read about this
Malay Angkasawan who was getting married and inviting 100 other Angakasawan to
his wedding and maybe even an Arab King! One, where does he get the money to do so on an Angkasawan salary
and two, he seems to think that he belongs to the people of Malaysia and what
he does is for the people of Malaysia! Huh! I am embarrassed at the antics of
Malays like him! And then we have UMNO politicians who mistake power for
greatness and strut around proclaiming to one and all their ability to “fill
the jails to the brim with ISA detainees”.
And yet in all this madness there is a Malay that I
think can provide us with the leadership and guidance that we need. Someone who will put country before self. I believe that he
alone will have the stature and the respect of the majority of our people. He
alone is bereft of any political or financial scandal that was the result of
any personal failings on his part. His fight has been on principals and on
beliefs he holds dearly – always for the greater cause - no vested interest
–always for party and for the country. This is a man whose time has come!
This man is Ku Li. With Ku Li must come Lim Guan Eng. LGE has
done enough in his life to confirm a dedication to duty and responsibility and
to values we all hold dearly and aspire to live up to. What he has done in
Penang is precisely what other states can and should aspire to. He is the son any Father would be proud to have!
What a combination! The Elder Statesman and the future
we aspire to! But these are stuff dreams are made of. The realities are this:
Ku Li no longer has the political will to do what is
right and we cannot begrudge him his right to a rest at his age...and he has
too much money to allow himself to be persuaded otherwise!
LGE is a Chinese administrating a Chinese populated
State. Even though Penang has been under a Chinese dominated political party
before many Malays are still uncomfortable in embracing LGE as a future
leader on a national level for now.
So what must we do to end this terminal weakness in
our country’s persona? Each and every one of us must accept responsibility for
change. Do not fool ourselves that we are “liberal” or “understand and accept”
the other races if we still feel that fear within us that the other races are
against the us – be you Malay or non-Malay! The other races are just as
suspicious of your intent as we are suspicious of theirs and only time might change that. But we can make an effort to educate the next generation on the
change we all need to make if we all want to make our country great again.
Loving Malaysia is not enough. We need to ensure that
our country can sustain its greatness. I can assure you all that those of us
living abroad talk more passionately about Malaysia then
most of you all do. But we are here and you are there….maybe together we can make
it work. You are one with me we are two!
