Have a meaningful Christmas - Thursday in The Star

Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin (10 October 1939 - 6 June 1976) was a minister in the government of Tun Fuad Stephens. He was a man of high principles and beliefs. The rakyat was his priority - truly The Golden Son of Kadazan.

NEW MALAYSIA : What is to be done?

Accept and appreciate our History

It is crucial that we do not hold a myopic and naïve view that our nation simply emerged out of the blue in 1957 and thereafter in 1963 without accepting and appreciating its long illustrious history that spans thousands of years. This attitude will rob and negate the history of the land and its people.

To do so, one will need to pretend that everything about Semenanjung Tanah Melayu before 1957 and Sabah and Sarawak prior to 1963 as irrelevant. This is the main obstacle in putting together a balanced, fair and truly inclusive national history and consequently impacting how we see and interact with each other as its people.

What must we do?

1. Understand, accept, absorb and immerse our history wholeheartedly from the beginning of human migration to our evolution: from hunter-gatherers who practiced animism, shamanism and ancestor worship to the time when we were Hindus, Buddhists and the last many hundreds of years till the present, Islam as our main narratives. When we do these with vigor, we will be able to appreciate how our early beliefs, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and even Christianity have left socio-religious and cultural imprints towards our ways of life and common shared values today.

2. Look at our national history in at least in two main parts. Firstly, our history before 1957 and 1963, the Malay World, the history about the people of Malay Archipelago that includes the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak – which rightly has to be Malay-Centric. At the same time, we must accept that the immigration history of our people from the east and the west is as real as the Malay-Centric experience and forms part of our national history, too. Secondly, our modern history that starts at 1957 and expanded, gained depth and breadth in 1963 when Malaysia was born. Our new history as its people.

3. Hold our constitution as the just and balanced center of reference that connects the dots to our past, present and the future. The constitutional provisions recognize the special position of the Malays and other natives the Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians while at the same time the rights and legitimate interests of the other communities. Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.

Without constitutional provisions to ensure that their interests are protected, natives across the world will be helpless against the demand for ‘equality’ because the descendants of the colonial and immigrant communities tend to have a bigger advantage. Equality in the loose sense will favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and weak be it for economic justice or in drawing the historical chronicles of the people.

At zubedy, we do not preach what we do not do. Contact us when you want to get your team to appreciate and work together practicing diversity and inclusion. Our programs and activities draw strength from our shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, every Malaysian want good things for themselves and their brothers and sisters, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Let us add value,

Have a Meaningful Christmas.