'Either 1Malaysia does not exist or it is as real as the unicorn. 1Malaysia is merely a political prop put up by Najib and his Umno coterie to mislead us into some false sense of comfort and hope.’

We were once 'Malaysians'

Jiminy Qrikert: I am so sorry, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, I cannot take 1Malaysia seriously. That's because PM Najib Razak's 1Malaysia is not the same as the 1Malaysia you described.

Najib's 1Malaysia has two faces - on one side, Najib croons promises of unity and fairness, while the other side is pure racism, with the endorsement of the cow-head incident, the attack on the use of ‘Allah’ in BM by Christians, the blatant insults against Chinese and Indian Malaysians, the creation of Perkasa as well as the sabre-rattling ‘I’m Malay first’ DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, who seems to have enough power to say and do what he wants.

So, Tengku Razaleigh, let me ask you this: by saying 'we must take 1Malaysia seriously, are you just being a functionary of Najib and trying to swing our loyalties to BN?

There is a danger the way Ku Li is appealing to the youth at this forum. Ku Li is laying down all the parameters for a united Malaysia, none of which Umno-BN can observe, meet or deliver - not in the next 50 years. But Umno-BN can feign all these values for the next 18 months while Najib gets his election machinery into shape.

Ku Li is in Umno, and has not said he will leave Umno. There has not been one iota of change and yet Ku Li is appealing to the youth to accept 1Malaysia. Isn't this a little too soon to ask the educated, politically-naive yet eager youth to embrace 1Malaysia, which is the slogan that Najib will flag in the upcoming elections?

Is Ku Li merely a mole to serve Najib's cause now that Umno-BN is losing credibility by the day?

Vijay: Either 1Malaysia does not exist or it is as real as the unicorn. 1Malayaia is merely a political prop put up by Najib and his Umno coterie to mislead us into some false sense of comfort and hope.

The very term disgusts me and fills me with utter contempt. It has come to a stage that each time an Umno leader promises or offers something for a better nation, he has done the direct opposite.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (who did not honour a single one of his many noble promises) refined this talent and now Najib is continuing it with equal skill and dexterity. For Malaysia's survival, there is just no choice - we have to get rid of Umno and destroy it to its roots.

Swipenter: The real multiracial Malaysia was destroyed by a constitutionally-defined Malay, who was PM for 22 years. It was during his time that everything had to be racialised; civil service, education, economic and investment activities, the infamous 30 percent quota system which the king of ‘katak’ Ibrahim Ali now wants revised to 67 percent.

Tunku Abdul Rahman's prophecy that Dr Mahathir Mohamad would destroy this nation is proving to be true. Look at the mess and rot underneath the facade: massive corruption, racial and religious polarisation, partial and politicised government organs and institutions, a laughing-stock judiciary, declining economy due to massive lack of confidence by foreigners and locals, etc.

Ku Li, you are not quite correct to say that we were unable to develop our race relations. As I see it, it was not allowed to grow since the 1970s, and the resultant sickness is manifesting everywhere and all over our country.

Pemerhati: Razaleigh said that under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership, "Malaysia led the way in taking up the anti-apartheid cause in the Commonwealth and in the United Nations, resulting in South Africa's expulsion from these bodies.”

Is it not ironical that apartheid came to an end in South Africa in 1994, but Malaysia has been practising a type of apartheid for decades, and there is no sign that Razaleigh and his Umno want to put an end to it?

Hu Li: Tengku, you are both right and wrong. But we are all well aware of the issues you raised already. It remains the only right thing you have said.

But BN will not disband racial politics, particularly Umno. As you put it, "We have a political class unwilling or unable to address the central issue of the day because they have grown fat and comfortable with a system built on lies and theft."

The truth is, we already have Pakatan Rakyat, where DAP, PKR, even PAS are multiracial in their ideologies. So it is wrong for you to ask Pakatan to be multiracial, when they already are. See how DAP under Lim Guan Eng has performed in Penang? And MB Khalid Ibrahim in Selangor? And Kelantan under Nik Aziz Nik Mat, where the policies implemented are for the rakyat and not Umnoputra-oriented?

Joe Lee: Hello Tengku, we all agree with what you say. But speech-making, without real action, is only talk. You need to follow through. You need to follow Anwar Ibrahim and stare down the corrupt and the thieves that you referred to. You need to use your stature to stare down the FRU/PDRM robots when required.

You need to believe that Malaysians, in particular, our Malay folks, are capable of lifting themselves out of their long-extended malaise, ever since Malaysia unfortunately selected that doctor to become prime minister.

And if you do believe, then please disown Umno, and seize the opportunity to contribute meaningfully once more to your beloved country. This is your last chance. Talk with no real action is just that.

Habib RAK: Wow, I’m inspired! How about following through, Ku Li? Repeat this speech at all the NGO meetings and other public forums once every two weeks until the next election. You will see something positive happening.