Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says Malaysia is not a nation yet although the country celebrates its 52nd birthday. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 16, 2015.still not a nation, said Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the country celebrates its 52nd birthday today.
The Umno Gua Musang federal lawmaker said Malaysia's efforts to build a nation are "nothing to shout about" as political leaders keep on "parroting in a mantra-like manner" that Malaysia is a nation.
"We are not, and that is the sad truth.
"We make believe that we are a nation. The reality is that we are not.
“We justify our watered down democracy by rationalising that there are democracies and then there are democracies.
“But we are never told by what yardstick our democracy is measured," he said.
In painting a somewhat bleak picture of the nation, the Kelantan prince said in his keynote address at the national unity conference that while Malaysians are polite to each other publicly, there is a lack of sincerity at times.
"In group interactions, we are not above breaking into a language not understood by everybody in our effort to not share our inner thoughts on whatever we have in mind with everyone.
"In the privacy of our homes we can be scathing in running down, for instance, cultural traits of other Malaysians that we are not familiar with."
The former finance minister said Malaysians live in a compartmentalised life, compounded by the pluralistic nature of its society and the lackadaisical attitude towards the ethos and worldview of Malaysians who are not of the same ethnicity as them.
"In the end, unless we come from a family background that includes the presence of interracial marriage, we will not be able to understand their philosophy of life or their world view or their attitudes and aspirations.
“We will not be able to come as one and develop a Malaysian culture made up of the cultural traits of our various and diverse racial make-up.
“Our inability to evolve a Malaysian culture has a negative effect on nation building for culture is a key element in such a process."
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