LETTER | Just prior to his second visit to Malaysia in years (which begins today), Xinhua cited Chinese President Xi Jinping writing, “Unity breeds strength, and cooperation brings shared success”.

Indeed, multiracial Malaysia, with its historical accounts and realities about its multi-religious, multicultural and multicoloured traditions over centuries, must pay committed seriousness to the president's message.

While I join the millions of ordinary Malaysians and the palace in welcoming Xi's visit to our nation, our local politicians, the little Napoleans and gravy train robbers, need to be told in no uncertain terms that unity is increasingly being compromised on our shores.

We are being periodically flooded with racial and religious chants of discrimination and prejudices- be it policies, actions or sentiments.

There is not a day that goes by without some blotches of racism or religious bigotry that we witness in person or read about in the news and share on social media.

Why are we fighting an obvious uphill battle within our beloved nation in recognising that "unity is strength"?

Why are we constantly embellishing mantras that bleed us of this eternal wisdom of Xi's "cooperation brings shared success"?

Before we can profit from a China-Malaysia transborder programme, we need to strengthen our nation internally.

These days, we never fail to hear shouts and dares about the Federal Constitution and racial supremacy.

Progress is for all

With each passing decade, we have witnessed how "sensitivity" over one's religion has become a political weapon of discord in a multireligious canvas, again and again, taking convenient cover behind the palace and the Constitution.

If we can take the Chinese leader's advice seriously, we can and will see our nation progress by leaps and bounds.

Progress cannot be cartelised. It can only strengthen when progress is an equitably shared mantra among patriotic citizens.

Likewise, unity is strength. In China, there are 55 officially recognised ethnic minority groups, with 91.11 percent of China's population being of Han Chinese. Do they endlessly shout about racism or religious sensitivities?

Their mantra of unity across their vast landscape of 1.4 billion people has made China what it is today. Their philosophy translated into action where success is shared without discrimination and prejudices has made China the powerhouse in Asia and the world.

Undeniably, China has the political will.

At some point, we need to come around the corner and annihilate with brute force all these political game plans and ploys of racism and religious bigotry.

We must put an abrupt stop to weaponising race and religious differences.

For that, we need political will. We need social reform. We need to overhaul the nation altogether. And we do not need a bloody revolution to do it right because China has shown the way forward.

Either we all agree to it or perish in the not-too-distant future. Crying wolf for far too long is not the solution.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.