Have Malaysians failed to understand Syed Hamid Albar? You be the judge in this final of a three-part Malaysiakini interview with the home minister.
Malaysiakini: Regarding Utusan Malaysia, where there has been a clamouring of voices for action to be taken against the daily for some articles that have been published – the 'cerpen' (short story) and the poem. What is your reaction to that?
Syed Hamid Albar: I think there is a tendency, amongst press people anyway… when we say ‘you have done something wrong’, they like to take a tit-for-tat – a life for a life and a tooth for a tooth – but I don’t think that should be the attitude.
You have to look at what we are today - much of it is the acting and reacting, nothing germinates by itself. So we have to look at our inner self.
Just so you know, we are now not pro-active – where is our contribution in talking about Malaysia as Malaysian? We are all now wearing our ethnic glasses, religious glasses. Our spectacles are full of colours...