Thursday, April 14, 2011
Today in The Star - Have A Meaningful Vaisakhi :)
Have a meaningful Vaisakhi “God intended me to look upon all religions with one eye; that is why he took away the light from the other.” – Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 – 1839) Do it for Unity – Young Malaysians, You Can Lead Us to Unity! Before Independence, we lived in division. The British considered it a pragmatic policy that our homes, schools and work were segregated according to racial communities. This framework was the basis of our Independence. Three separate groups combined to form an Alliance, but we did not unite on a personal level. In 1951, Dato’ Onn Jaafar, founder of UMNO, wanted to open UMNO to all but the proposal was rejected. It was an idea ahead of its time – the nation was not yet ready. The formula of an alliance worked well to win us our Independence and bring us to a level of prosperity and peace. But at the same time, maintaining three separate groups gives way for misunderstanding and distrust among our people. The ground is now shifting, especially among the young. Dato’ Onn’s idea is becoming the consciousness of Malaysians. More Rakyat are seeing themselves as Malaysian first. The 1Malaysia campaign has added vigor to this shift. At the ground, level now we can even see co-operation between DAP and PAS, a scenario hard to imagine only a short time ago. Is a new platform emerging? Perhaps it is, and young Malaysians are our leading actors. We see the hope of Unity, of 1Malaysia, in our youth. Young Malaysians, we ask you to lead us towards greater Unity. And we believe now is the right time. Let us move away from politics of race and religion. While race and religion are important, for our Rakyat to be united we must see ourselves as first and foremost Malaysian. Let us support policies which are good for all Malaysians – not just for Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans. Let us fight for a new Independence. Free ourselves of the shackles of communalism. Let us expand our boundaries and be inclusive. Let us be 1Malaysia. Let us be first and foremost Malaysians. At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind. Let us add value Have a meaningful Vaisakhi
I was sitting in my surgeon's office and waiting for him when I picked up the Star newspaper on April 14 to read some news to while away the time. And, then I saw the ad you had published in the Star. Its message was beautiful and meaningful. I decided to buy the Star, a newspaper that I do buy occasionally, on my way back home.I have cut the page and kept in my library as reminder that there are Malaysians who still believe strongly in the concept of "unity in diversity". Great work sir and keep it up.
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