LETTER | I was watching video footage of Kuala Lumpur probably recorded somewhere in the early sixties. Watching the video, I beamed in pride reflecting on what we have achieved together in just 62 years of gaining independence from the British.
From just a backward nation to toiling together as a diverse family, we have achieved respect as a regional socio-economic powerhouse. Kudos to our forefathers who have worked really hard in laying a very strong foundation onto which where we could continue building upon and it is now our responsibility to leave something which is even more solid for generations to carry on from.
Due to our collective hard work, today we enjoy a quality of life parallel to that of developed nations.
What facilitated this success story was our willingness to coexist in peace and harmony guided by the Federal Constitution, except for the ugly chapter of the May 13 racial riots, which unfortunately still sticks out like a sore thumb. The May 13 chapter perhaps reinforces a powerful message that intolerance can shatter years of collective hard work in an instant.
Since our nation’s political landscape began to alter from the 12th general election onwards, any untoward incident involving people of different race and or religion is immediately manipulated to incite racial conflict, sadly supported by some irresponsible politicians who crave to score some very cheap brownie points. The situation has become worse after the 14th general election, a historic event which was seen as a beacon of hope by many.
It is scary when reading comments on social media platforms which completely disregard interracial sensitivity and compassion, holding the entire nation at ransom. We are looking at each other as enemies. We openly rundown each other without remorse.
While interventions from the right individuals have been able to defuse tensions, unfortunately, the level of hatred demonstrated towards each other is indeed dangerous. The current reality is that we are taking our political stability which is our most valuable asset for granted. Without political stability, everything collapses in an instant and I wonder if these selfish instigators even realise this.
It is high time that our government and politicians recognise the fact that our unity is deteriorating and act to safeguard it. An immediate start would be to enact laws to criminalise hate speech and this must include race and religious insults. Hate, if unchecked, over time will trigger violence and if this happens it will be too late.
Racial polarisation is the biggest hindrance to achieving a unified Malaysia but we have entrusted political leaders and administrative institutions to effectively deal with this. As such, people who walk the corridors of power must act decisively to address the current realities before we reach a point of no return.
Commendable leadership in a country like ours cannot be judged on mega- infrastructure development alone, but it must be rated on how successfully racial integration is realised as well
Happy Independence Day.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
