BN’s failure to garner the support of the majority in the March general election this year is partly due to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for not making a strong stand as the prime minister against certain grassroots politicians.

However, mainly the losses could be attributed because some of the sensitive issues played up by certain quarters which caused a bigger gap amongst the races.

In the recent election, it is clear that people wanted a change. The silent majority had finally spoken when they went to the polls. As I have always said, you can always silence a vocal few but it is the majority you should be afraid of.

When they cast their vote, it can bring about a change in government.

The recent ISA arrests have, in my opinion, done more harm than good to the BN government and as prime minister, Pak Lah was expected to intervene but disappointingly, most people feel that he has done nothing.

Save for some loud-mouthed grassroots politicians, most Malaysians want to have a peaceful country where people of all races and religious backgrounds can work together and interact in the spirit of muhibbah.

I am wondering why then are we, the bigger majority of Malaysians, allowing the extremists and the narrow-minded politicians in our midst to play up racial issues just for their own political mileage?

If the prime minister can be from a minority race (as Pak Lah said recently) why is the appointment of the acting general manager of PKNS being challenged just because she is not from the majority group?

If the menteri besar has confidence in her, why can't we give her the support and empower her to bring improvement to her countrymen and fellow Malaysians, without thinking about race or religion.

After all, what is so superior about one’s race? Where is our sense of humility? Based on the recent statement by the Conference of Rulers, apart from our sultans and the King, why should there even be talk about the supremacy of one’s race?

Nazism in Germany, ethnic cleansing in Serbia-Herzegovinia and apartheid in South Africa are some of the biggest disasters of the human race. Why should we allow a few narrow-minded politicians to spew venom and poison our minds against each other?

While there is much political gain to be made within certain political parties by championing race and religion, the victory is gained at the expense of losing the respect of a bigger majority. It, in fact, raises the eyebrows of the majority who prefer to behave as normal human beings.

Race is only skin deep. I am Chinese. The Chinese have one of the longest histories as a civilisation which can be traced back several thousands years. Even when the West was considered ‘barbaric’, the ancient Chinese were already well-advanced in thinking and refined in culture.

Besides Siam, China was a major power base in this part of the world during the Malacca Sultanate and today, it is known as the awakened giant. Its admirals were already travelling to the far West long before the Western voyagers discovered the East.

Even Marco Polo who visited China in his time was surprised at how advanced the Chinese were.

But despite this heritage, what is there for me to boast? Instead of being proud of my race, I treat everyone as part of a bigger family – the human race with each ethnic group having a different set of cultural and religious values.

If I do not respect you, would you respect me in return? Why then do we allow narrow-minded politicians to sing their dirge that causes us to feel at animosity against each other, not because we already know each other but because of the colour of one’s skin?