An eye for an eye. Stern actions. Sedition Act. Those are the calls. Google along these keywords: Ahmad Ismail, penumpang, pendatang and you'd get hits commenting on the recent remarks made by Ahmad "I don't mean it" Ismail.
No, not another bashing but a piece of my mind on the Bangsa Malaysia everyone (well, not everyone) hopes to achieve - in the distant future.
Whilst many hope that the "Race" column in application forms would be romoved and say, a political party which would do away with these 51-year racial policies and mentalities, it wouldn't be a success save on in a superficial manner; no different than the superficial call of equality for all races we that we have now.
Perhaps with time and the passing of the current generation that the next generation would be thought this concept of Satu Bangsa - but don't count on no parents who wouldn't inculcate some forms of racism in their children, however minute.
I see myself fortunate to be studying in a school (missionary school actually where there were calls to remove the crucifix, that's beside the matter) which subscribes to the national syllabus and to be able to mingle with people from various races. Fast forward to now, I've graduated from a local university whereby in my three years of studies, the nicest people I've met are my Malay friends.
It's not particularly comforting to see - in words and actions - a one-race group that thinks they're suppose to stick together or they'll lose out. Fear.
Fear is the thing that drives one to behave in an antagonizing way towards another and it affects, evidently, both the majority and the minority. With fear comes polarization and division and you end up with discrete colours even in a sea of crowds. It may not be excessive to say that coming from a mono type of school do actually causes culture shock and it needs some getting used to. If the latter fails, alienation thus sets in.
(From Left: Yamin, Myself, Amar)
Get one or two friends (better still of different colours) and you'd get a snapshot like the above but frankly, it was taken that day when I called out to them as they walked by: they happily obliged. Then there's this university photographer who ask us to post for her camera. Guess such pictures are hard to come by except if one would look for paid posers. Lol.
My point? To achieve things such as Bangsa Malaysia or to be more current, Muhibbah/Perpaduan, it doesn't take one party or one race to start/stop doing a certain thing but it's more than that. To the bigots out there, it's to stop having the impression that your race is more superior, richer, more hardworking, the pioneer, or better off doing things alone. Stop pointing fingers at others, whichever group you belong to. After all, none of us are not guilty of being a racist at certain points in our lives.
Sometimes, it doesn't take a racist politician's sanctimonious drivel to fuel a racial dislike towards another but rather, the policy of the nation (call it a contract if you'd like to deny) and the blatant one-sidedness favouring certain groups of people that causes much discomfort and disappointment. What more, our founding fathers didn't sign us up for less of a citizen.
P.A. Lesson: Perlembagaan merupakan undang-undang tertinggi negara ini... I love the words supreme law as it gives a kind of security - and security for all. It takes more than just requests to change the Constitution. No fear, aite?
In a nutshell, I have but a few friends and not all are Chinese but all are Malaysians. It may draw laughter and ridicule when I answer to these questions: Hang anak sape? Hang ingat hang leh buat ape yang hang suka? Saya anak Malaysia. Ini tanah tumpah darah saya. Save to say, the last phrase entitled me to the rights guarded by the Constitution.
PS. Woe betide you, bigoted leaders/politicians who drive the wedge between races for your own selfish gains.
