In a deeply divided multiethnic society, the most certain way to political success is through ethnic politics. It is simply too easy and too tempting for any ambitious political player or party to divide and rule a nation that is already ethnically polarised.

The real problem with the divide-and-rule strategies of ethnic politics is that it succeeds at winning elections. It is a winning formula that is hard to beat.

This means that for all practical purposes, ethnic politics is both inevitable and necessary, and will be around for a very long time, like it or not.

We should therefore look at some of the possible ways in which we can make political players conduct their activities o­n a more ethical plane in the hope that we might ensure a more constructive dialogue, and a more peaceful, prosperous, and equitable future.

The type of ethnic politics played in Malaysia would be recognisable to citizens of many other deeply divided multi-ethnic nations.

Malaysia is certainly not unique in the type or pattern or flavour of ethnic politicking, posturing and rhetoric used to gain votes. It would not be unfamiliar to the citizens of Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, South Africa, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Lebanon to name but just a few of these divided multiethnic nations.

The sheer unthinking irrationality and passionate nature of ethnic and racial sentiment makes it all too easy to both arouse and influence voter preference.

Everything can be made into an ethnic issue. Anyone who has ever watched small, obnoxious and loud neighbourhood children quarrel will know what I mean:

My ice-cream is nicer than yours. My father made this ice-cream from real milk. Your ice-cream is not the official ice-cream so it cannot be better than mine. Mine is recognised, but not yours. Your ice-cream is confusing the neighbours into liking it better. Why are you not eating our ice-cream? Our ice-cream not good enough for you?

The more hardline, ambitious, unscrupulous and chauvinistic politicians play to a more paranoid and sinister tune:

Their foreign ice-cream is endangering your traditional vanilla ice-cream. Their foreign ice-cream is a threat to your vanilla, your traditions, your race, your culture, your language, and your religion. Their foreign ice-cream is anti- Nasional , unpatriotic, disloyal, communist, zionist, anti-religion, pro-imperialist, insulting and arrogant. Their foreign ice-cream is taking over your neighbourhood. Their foreign ice-cream has got a secret agenda. Never trust foreign ice-cream.

Of course, the third act of the political sandiwara must include the grand finale: Vote for us.

Honour your ice cream. Vote for your ice-cream. Honour your family. Support your ice-cream. We will defend you, and your family. We will protect you from the evil foreign ice-cream. Down with foreign cheating communist, zionist, American imperialist ice cream. Kick out all foreign ice-cream. Stop them. Vote for us!

Unfortunately for us Malaysians, even in the 21st century, this ridiculously stupid and insane rhetoric works every time.

Unless all Malaysian citizens, and all ethnic groups - Muslims and non-Muslims, Malays, Chinese, Indians, Tamils, Sikhs, Kadazan, Melanau, Ibans, Dayaks, Eurasians, and aborigines - wise up to the way ethnic political parties and politicians manipulate their voting behaviours, and resist the unthinking racial feelings that it arouses, we will simply end up with the same type of primitive and destructive ethnic politicking that gave rise to so many problems in the past.

As individuals, if we really want to do something useful for our country, then we should undertake a promise to educate ourselves.