17-09-10 (Friday) “To My Fellow Malaysians”

This comes a bit late but I thought its still in the Malaysia Day period anyway. Racism and discrimination has been a major issue in Malaysia all the while, if not more recently. The Malays insist their privileges should not be questioned at all, the minorities complain there is no equality at all. Some claim that Malaysia is the only country that discriminates openly. The government hunts down people who become a threat to them… It is has almost become daily news now. Reading “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Philip Yancey, I can’t help but think of how much ungrace there is in Malaysia. We all demand for our rights to be preserved. We claim that we have been treated unjustly. We insist the government isn’t doing its job, to improve the welfare of the citizens.

They insist that they earned their privileges as “Sons of the Earth”. They claim that they are already being very tolerant, letting us stay on in the country. They also lambast the government for unnecessary actions. 

I think both sides have their valid points in the argument and there can never be a conclusion to an argument as such. The problem, therefore, lies not in the validity of each sides’ arguments but on whomever is willing to yield first. Martin Luther King, Jr sparked a big change in America through peaceful strategies. Nelson Mandela used no hurtful words to achieve unity in South Africa. I hope Malaysia can go through a similar change in the sentiments of its people. I dream of the day when we stop complaining, talking each other down, pointing fingers, backstabbing, putting on fronts and cursing each other. I dream of the day we CHOOSE to love one another, to see each other as fellow countrymen, not as people of different races, to embrace our differences as the very reason we’re the same, that we’re Malaysian.

Do you think its possible? Don’t use the “I’ll do it if THEY do it first” line… Its like using a vote to decide who wins when you only have 2 different parties with separate opinions voting! Are YOU willing to do it first? Will you choose NOT to complain about the government, to stop talking down Malaysia as the worst country around whenever someone asks you how your country is like? Will you stop talking negatively about other races but tell of how beautifully diverse our country is culturally? … And if I may, DARE you sound like you are proud to be Malaysian? Its not about IGNORING the “evils” of our country. I’m just saying that if its so bad already, there’s no point making it worse, right?

I hope I did not offend anybody. I have no intention at all to do as such. If you are offended, you have my sincere apologies.

I will try to walk that talk I just did earlier. But you have to help me here. I have strong hope in my country and my fellow countrymen.

Happy 47th Malaysia Day, Malaysia + our former countrymate, Singapore.