PETALING JAYA: Malaysia must go back to its roots if its people aim to stand together as a united nation, a National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) member said.
Anas Zubedy said he was drumming out a proposal for an upcoming NUCC meet that would address unity problems, noting that having a national identity was vital.
“We need to identify what is the minimum standard requirement for what a Malaysian is because after 50 years we still can’t pinpoint what that is. We need to go back to the basics,” he said in an interview yesterday.
He said factors that contributed to the problem included selective views on local history and the Federal Constitution.
The Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd managing director said that while the Federal Constitution covered special privileges for bumiputras, it also guaranteed that other Malaysians would not be deprived of their rights.
He said the document did not appear to be followed in its entirety and that its “spirit” was not adhered to.
On history, he said that Malaysia was a country built on many aspects, adding that much of it was forgotten by the people.
Examples, he said, included the proto-Malays, the country’s Hindu heritage, its centuries-long Islamic-style rule, the role of the Indians in nation-building and even the Chinese-paid taxes in the early days of Malaysia’s development.
“We have a history that goes back thousands of years. What I see right now is that Malaysians from different groups pick and choose what they want. It’s like six blind men picking at one elephant,” he said.
Also of concern, he said, were worries of mono-culturalism in schools and urban neighborhoods.
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