A diverse group of panellists attempted last night to provide some responses to the challenges towards inter-ethnic unity but in essence, they o­nly echoed the segregated voices which speak from Malaysia today.

The four panellists at the three-hour forum, titled "Managing inter-ethnic relations: challenges and responses" spoke, among others, o­n the effects of the New Economic Policy, especially in shaping race relations over the past 30 years.

Speaking from his position as Umno Youth exco member, Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that the New Economic Policy (NEP), although intended to foster racial harmony by distributing wealth in a manner deemed fair and just, was bound not to satisfy every individual and group.

As a consequence, he said, the country is now faced with the dangers of extremism from all races in the shape of groups such as militant group al-Maunah and Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong, which has had a history of antagonism with Umno Youth.

Nur Jazlan also said that (Umno Youth deputy chief) Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir had second thoughts when he led the demonstration against Dong Jiao Zongin 2000, but as a Malay leader, he had to confront the extremists.

When questioned about the labelling of Dong Jiao Zong as an extremist group, he reiterated that leaders from the ruling party have to defend the Malay rights from those who challenge them as the party was entrusted to uphold these rights.

Umno Youth first started referring to the influential Chinese education movement as being extremist in 2000 when Suqiu, an election appeal committee, aligned to the latter submitted an appeal which, among others, called for the abolition of the distinction between bumiputera and non-bumiputera.

Abdul Aziz led a group of Umno Youth supporters to protest outside the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. The group also threatened to burn down the hall. ( photo )

Not easy to give up rights

Commenting o­n effects of the NEP, Nur Jazlan conceded that some of the policies introduced since the early 1970s had failed to achieve their intended goal of national unity.

To illustrate, Nur Jazlan said that the introduction and emphasis o­n Malay language instruction in all schools and in the civil service as a part of the NEP was intended in the aftermath of May 1969 riots to refocus the allegiance of all ethnic groups o­nto the nation concept.

"However, we have suffered in terms of (our proficiency) in the English language and it resulted in many government departments and the education sector to be dominated by Malay Malaysians. This has caused problems for non-Malay Malaysians. "

"But the government is taking steps now to inject more diversity back. It will take time but we hope that non-Malay Malaysians will also see this as a challenge and will rejoin (the civil service and teaching profession)," he said.

Another problem, according to Nur Jazlan, had been the growing numbers of disenfranchised individuals and groups who have not benefited from the NEP.

"Some Indian Malaysians have been relocated from estates and plantations to squatter areas and they find themselves much worse off now. Recently, this boiled over at Kampung Medan in Petaling Jaya."

The Umno Youth leader also admitted that among those who benefited from the NEP are also some who are said to have become spoilt and individualistic.

"They have had the good life so it will not be easy for them to give up (the NEP)," he said.

Minimal integration

Meanwhile, another panellist Prof Jayum Anak Jawan expressed dissatisfaction towards the manner in which the NEP is being implemented as it is not seen as providing sufficient opportunity to bumiputera groups such as the orang asli and orang asal.

"Some people blame the government that the policies are not good enough but the idea of the NEP is good.

The problem is that people down the line (in sectors such as the civil service) have not followed the directive."

"This is the reason why we are (faced) with volatile inter-ethnic relations and this is why we have not progressed beyond the minimal levels of integration and unity," said the professor of politics and government at University Putra Malaysia.

Jayum, who is also a member of the sub-committee for the national service curriculum, said to address the low levels of integration, the government has devised the plan to introduce the six-month national service stint for youths so that they could be brought together in o­ne physical setting.

"One issue we face is how to ensure that every (ethnic group) is represented in o­ne setting, particularly in states which have a high proportion of individuals from o­ne ethnic group?"

Fear of Islamic state

Another speaker, Strategic Analysis Malaysia chief analyst James Wong Wing O­n told the audience that inter-ethnic distrust in Malaysia is a result of several factors, including the fear of minority groups at being assimilated by the dominant Malay culture, the uncertainty over religious freedom, and the effects of the NEP.

"The fear of the formation of an Islamic state is genuine not o­nly against PAS but also Umno. Some fear that Umno is more dangerous because it is already in command of resources such as the state machinery and the arms forces. Non-Malays and non-Muslims now fear that Umno will compete with PAS."

"These are issues which still divide Malaysians emotionally but they do not speak up for fear of being arrested," he said.

Wong said that while there were good reasons to implement the NEP as defined by ethnic-racial terms, the time has come for a shift in focus to benefit the poor from all ethnic groups.

"In the 1970s, there were reasons to pull up the Malays for reasons of political stability. Capitalism would not work then because there were masses of poor Malay Malaysians."

"But do we still need the NEP now? We have missed out o­n an important dimension which is to address poverty according to social classes within each community," he said.

Belgian model

Commenting o­n the state of inter-ethnic relations as seen by an outsider, Dr Paul Lim, a visiting associate professor o­n globalisation and regionalisation issues at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said there appeared o­nly to be minimal levels of integration among Malaysians.

"Ethnicity problems are worldwide and not o­nly faced by Malaysia. However, I have to say that I have never been more ethnically conscious before I came here. The ethnicity question hangs in the air permanently and it is very unhealthy," said the professor from Belgium.

Lim said that for there to be a multiracial harmony, there has to be respect for every person's rights and integrity.

"What is the meaning of being multiracial? It is not just about going to each other's houses o­n festive days," he said.

"(For example), if there are cases of (racial) discrimination, there should be no cover up by the authorities. If a person is an illegal immigrant, he or she should still be treated like a human being and not caned. The police should also get to know other cultures," he said.

Lim offered the Belgian model of government as a comparative study o­n how peoples of different cultures, languages and religions can live together in harmony.

"There is no concept of nationhood there. Belgium is a federal state which recognises three national languages. There are different governments for each community and also different regional governments. This is a compromise which satisfies everyone although it costs a lot to maintain three governments," he explained.

The three-hour forum, moderated by Gerakan vice president Dr S Vijayaratnam, was organised by the Social Economic Development and Research Unit (Sedar), a Gerakan-linked think-tank in conjunction with the recent Chinese New Year celebrations.