The OIC Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur will certainly be exploited by Umno to attempt to boost its image among Muslim voters in Malaysia, just like MCA always attempts to exploit Malaysia-China relations to attract Chinese votes. Of course, the attempts are not always successful, especially when many more pressing and burning domestic issues affecting Muslims and non-Muslims alike are still not solved.
In fact, it can be argued that such divide-and-rule publicity techniques reflect the utter failure of the Umno-dominated Barisan Nasional in achieving genuine national unity and coherence. In this sense, the political mobilisation techniques of Umno and MCA are the root causes of ethnic and religious polarisation, as well as national disunity, in Malaysia.
However, I believe that after 46 years of independence, ordinary people of all races are becoming more and more mature and nationally conscious. We are also more acutely aware of our national identity and national interests to be unnecessarily entangled with foreign disputes that are hairsplitting and never ending.
The domestic issues include the continuing persecution of Anwar Ibrahim, detentions without trial, judicial independence and integrity, police incompetence, raising crime rates, indiscipline among students, corruption in high places, cronyism and nepotism in big businesses, People's Religious Schools (SAR), mother-tongue educations of the non-Malays, media control, stifling of academics and tertiary students and bad governance in general.
Malaysians must not be duped or intoxicated by exotic and pompous international gatherings. Their political focus on more pressing and burning domestic issues must also not be diverted by foreign disputes or controversies.
To gain momentary and external vainglory in international forums while the country itself is internally beset with all sorts of chronic problems in politics, education, socio-economy and governance, is but self-deluding. Foreign heads of states and diplomats come and go, but real charity must always begin at home.
In fact, for the government to entangle Malaysia unnecessarily with so many foreign disputes in so many faraway countries, the result or outcome may be negative and even harmful to the national interests and national security of Malaysia.
One, Malaysian taxpayers' money are wasted on the conduct of foreign relations (like the travel expenses of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and senior journalists of the official media) that are ideological and unproductive in nature, and do not bring real economic or security benefits to Malaysia;
Two, over-exposure and unnecessary commitment to, and excessive involvement in, international politics may make Malaysia a battleground for foreign antagonists of foreign disputes, including foreign terrorists, secret agents of rogue regimes as well as Western powers;
As a medium income country of limited size and multi-cultural population, Malaysia should not be a vainglorious busybody all over the world. Otherwise, the juggling game may get out of the control of the juggler.
Malaysia's foreign policy must cease to be based on ideological, racial or religious opportunism as well as fame-seeking, narcissistic and loquacious adventurism ala-Mahathir. Instead, a collective sense of pragmatism, national identity and the national interests of all Malaysians should serve as guides to policy-making and implementation in the conduct of foreign relations.
Indeed, how can the Barisan Nasional convince the world that its diplomacy is good and effective when Malaysia cannot even live harmoniously or settle problems amicably with its even smaller neighbour, namely Singapore that shares with us a common history and geographical location on earth?
