Malaysia Day message of unity hijacked by growing racial strain, say critics

Human rights activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan says Malaysia Day is about the unity, compassion and understanding that has prevailed over the past 6 decades, as reflected in the diffferent commmunities coming together to celebrate our independence every year. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 16, 2015.As the country marks 52 years of its formation today, a lucid sense of fear and insecurity in the capital city has hijacked what should have been an air of festivities to celebrate the birth of the nation.

Over the past week, Malaysians have been inundated with daily media coverage of the "red shirt" rally set to take place in Kuala Lumpur today.

Social media rumours of violence have also been rife, due to the racially provocative rallying call of the demonstration which will see thousands of protestors gathering to assert the dominance of the majority Malay race, in what is now called the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu.

Critics say the protest is the very antithesis to the ideals surrounding the 1963 union of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia.

Sabahan Treonica Ayun said hardly any attention has been given to the remembrance of Malaysia Day, and that today’s rally was instead a reminder of how far the country was from achieving its ideals of a united and diverse nation.

“It’s very disappointing, and it has brought a gloomy overcast over the Malaysia Day celebrations,” said Ayun, who has lived in Peninsular Malaysia for 14 years.

A Merdeka Center survey yesterday found that only 24% of more than 500 Malays polled supported today’s rally.

However, analysts said the fact that the protest still appealed to a segment of the Malay community was a sign that race relations in Malaysia was lagging far behind, more than five decades after the nation’s formation.

“While it’s not representative of the Malay community, the rally still does speak to a segment of this community,” said Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian (pic, right).

Ibrahim said the distrust and misunderstanding between the races was not surprising, given that most Malaysians lived in communities where their ethnic community formed the majority.

“There’s still a significant lack of cultural awareness among Malaysians. A lot of Malaysians may have cross-communal communications, but I would argue that very few of them are deep.

“They work together, maybe live in the same area together, but they don’t do a lot of stuff together.

“52 years on, we still haven’t come to terms with how to manage the competing sentiments of the different communities that make up this country,” he said.

Celebrating diversity

But in spite of the concerns of rising racial tension, civil rights activists continue to believe that voices of moderation will prevail in spite of today’s rally.

“It is my view that the 'red shirt' rally cannot hijack Malaysia Day. How can it? It is divisive with racial undertones whereas Malaysia Day is about unity, compassion and understanding. The positive message will prevail,” prominent lawyer and human rights activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (pic, left) told The Malaysian Insider.

“I believe that far from dominating Malaysia Day, the 'red shirt' rally will help to remind each of us about what really matters. It will help us to value one another more, with all our differences. It will strengthen our bonds.”

Ambiga, who had earlier hit out at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for condoning today’s rally, appealed to organisers of the rally to abandon their “divisive agenda”, and join Malaysians in celebrating diversity and unity on Malaysia Day.

“I would appeal to the participants of the rally to find it in their hearts to celebrate our diversity, Malaysian unity and Malaysia Day with all other Malaysians,” she said.

“My message for Malaysia Day is:Enjoy Malaysia Day as we unite in thanks for the gift of diversity and a rich multi-cultural heritage which we are blessed with.”

But as rumours of racial fights breaking out around Kuala Lumpur continue to spread early Wednesday, many ordinary Malaysians continue to bemoan the fragility of the nation’s racial relations.

“We talk about our diversity and the unity all the time, and it’s in all the history books, but are we really moving towards that direction?” questioned Sabahan Ayun.

“I pray that one day we will really be able to say that we are all living together in harmony.

“But for now, it’s just not happening.”

- TMI