It is OK to be racial, not OK to be racist.
My dear Malaysians, we are Malaysia – a country from its inception have chosen integration over assimilation. The rainbow instead of just one color. As such, it is okay to organize a congress, meeting, political party, society, etc. based on race or ethnicity but …
In Malaysia each of our ethnic groups are encouraged to bloom for the most part unhindered; Chinese speak Chinese, eat with chopsticks, have Chinese names; Indians have Indian names and speak their own dialects; Malays follow their traditions which are the core culture of this nation. So do our brothers and sisters is Sabah and Sarawak be they Iban, Kadazandusun, Bidayuh, Melanau, Bajau, Murut and the other groups.
We want all the beauty of each of our member rainbow race to blossom, thrive and add value to the Malaysian supra-race and at the same time accept that it is a functional, cognizant goal, and strive to inculcate our children with the goal of being Malaysian: speak, read and write our language Bahasa Malaysia, with ease. As such, it is OK to be racial, to follow what our tradition dictates for our behavior, beliefs and customs; it enriches and grounds us, makes us feel safe and secure with who we are in relation to everyone around us. But it is not OK to be racist; to think that our race is somehow superior to others and to dislike someone or some group of people because of their ethnic background; that is plain ignorance and arrogance.
So, it is okay to organize a congress based on one’s ethnic grouping. But it is not okay to use it as a platform to threaten or bad mouth the other.
So, let’s get that right. Because …
“We appreciate food instead of bullets, clothing instead of uniforms, houses instead of barracks” – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bapa Malaysia.
Peace, anas zubedy Malaysian Movement For Moderates
In Malaysia each of our ethnic groups are encouraged to bloom for the most part unhindered; Chinese speak Chinese, eat with chopsticks, have Chinese names; Indians have Indian names and speak their own dialects; Malays follow their traditions which are the core culture of this nation. So do our brothers and sisters is Sabah and Sarawak be they Iban, Kadazandusun, Bidayuh, Melanau, Bajau, Murut and the other groups.
We want all the beauty of each of our member rainbow race to blossom, thrive and add value to the Malaysian supra-race and at the same time accept that it is a functional, cognizant goal, and strive to inculcate our children with the goal of being Malaysian: speak, read and write our language Bahasa Malaysia, with ease. As such, it is OK to be racial, to follow what our tradition dictates for our behavior, beliefs and customs; it enriches and grounds us, makes us feel safe and secure with who we are in relation to everyone around us. But it is not OK to be racist; to think that our race is somehow superior to others and to dislike someone or some group of people because of their ethnic background; that is plain ignorance and arrogance.
So, it is okay to organize a congress based on one’s ethnic grouping. But it is not okay to use it as a platform to threaten or bad mouth the other.
So, let’s get that right. Because …
“We appreciate food instead of bullets, clothing instead of uniforms, houses instead of barracks” – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bapa Malaysia.
Peace, anas zubedy Malaysian Movement For Moderates
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