Yoursay: In wake of the pandemic, race and religion no longer matter

YOURSAY | ‘We are fighting a common enemy which knows no racial barrier.’

Tycoon charters plane to ship masks and PPE

Anonymous_5609e49b: I thank what tycoon Lee Kim Yew is doing as a Malaysian. Put race aside in our comments. There is no end to this argument.

Look inside every hospital, the healthcare workers are multiracial and they are treating patients of all races. They sacrifice their lives for all races. Why can't we also put aside our differences like the doctors and nurses?

The greedy ones are greedy not because of their race, but because of themselves. You find greedy people in all races, and similarly, kind ones in all races too.

No Fear Nor Favour: Lee, thank you for your donation at a time of great adversity. Your patriotism and national service to the country are commendable.

I hope more well-to-do Malaysians, irrespective of race and religion, will do likewise during this time of need.

However, Tan Sri, each and every good deed we performed need not be widely publicised. They are hundreds of individuals and organisations doing likewise, perhaps not in monetary terms but in social services, and have gone unnoticed.

GooseNBanter: The publicity, intentional or otherwise, is good actually. It’s a wakeup call to the other Malaysian tycoons to come forward to help out.

CH Y: Publicity of these kinds of good work is just what we need to spur one another to be selfless and not ‘duduk diam diam’ (sit quietly) when the world is in need.

It also serves to ensure accountability by publishing the amounts donated, how the cash is used and the breakdown of the recipients.

The government must similarly be open and transparent by publishing daily figures of where the infections are occurring/method of spreads and from which clusters (why these clusters cannot be controlled by Health Ministry/police/army) and the usage of the stimulus fund with a proper breakdown.

The government must also be prepared to give a written response as to why the plea for help by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has not been properly entertained despite the size of the RM250 billion stimulus.

Speaking The Truth: We are so proud of you, Sir. Your initiative to take the lead without hesitation to do what should be done under such circumstances has humbled all of us.

You do not need our thanks nor gratitude but you rose to the occasion when you are needed most. It is people like you who make this country a great place to live.

Mortality: I salute you, Lee, for your humanitarian deed. But I feel it is best that you leave the medical aspects of Covid-19 to the experts - masks to replace the lockdown? I think the two are not interchangeable.

Anonymous #33227154: Indeed, a good deed by Lee. I hope other rich tycoons will help out too. If only our filthy rich politicians take out some 'pocket money' from their allegedly stolen coffers to help the people as well.

Annonnymous 080: Hopefully, the Saudi Arabia royalty will be generous to re-donate the remaining bulk of the RM2.6 billion, which was allegedly returned to them.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Well done, Tan Sri. Where is the response from the ultra-racists Malays who have been spewing venom and hatred towards the non-Malays these last 22 months?

What has happened to the die-hard supporters of the Malay Dignity Congress? Where are the Malay millionaires and billionaires?

Where is the Islamic solidarity that is trumpeted on a daily basis by the likes of PAS? Where are the big rich Muslim donor countries? Where is the "maruah" of those who shout "Tanah Melayu" on a regular basis over social media?

Anonymous_5609e49b: Let’s keep race and religion out of this. Racism is for losers only. While others go low, we go high. We don't have to say the same or play the same game.

We are better than the racists out there. We are Malaysians helping Malaysians during this critical time.

Pelanduk: Yes, let us for a moment forget whether we are Chinese, Malays or Indian. We are fighting a common enemy which knows no racial barrier. Let us do it together and kill the enemy so that we can move forward together.

Are we collectively a sum greater than all our disparate parts?

Anonymous 93887546720228: Even as we face this monstrous pandemic, we are divided as Malaysians. After decades of racial and religious rhetoric, don’t expect Malaysians to come together as one within weeks.

Yet this Covid-19 virus shows us the inimitable truth – that we have more in common than that which divides us.

The virus does not discriminate, whether we are white, yellow or black; Malay, Chinese or Indian; Muslim, Christian or Buddhist; royalty or commoner; rich or poor.

But when we emerge from this crisis, will we see or remain blind?

Just A Malaysian: We started with a diverse multiracial, multicultural and multireligious country. But one race and one religion insist on being the absolute dominance.

Such an obsession drives us downwards and dumbs down the country significantly. We have cracks and weaknesses but papered over by debts.

Our country is already sick but dragging along, propelled by a false sense of racial superiority. Out come a serious enemy and our whole facade collapse. Our weaknesses and flaws all exposed.

It will take us years to recover and lots of pain to go through it. Will we wake up or still mired in our fake sense of superiority?

OMG: Good points. Have faith that things will get better, perhaps not in our lifetime. - Mkini