Najib’s moral obligation — Tay Tian Yan

Reactions to the calls for a “New Barisan Nasional” are largely negative, and few have offered constructive feedback.

Many among the people in the street are sceptical that BN would ever change at all, arguing that no change could do any good to BN, if any.

Others feel that there is no need for BN to do anything as it will be brought down come the next GE.

Within the ruling coalition, in particular Umno, many believe BN does not need any drastic change, it being the victor in the just concluded general election, and that any change, if improperly instituted, could lead to self destruction.

This is the typical anomaly in Malaysian society whereby everyone cries foul against racism but remains indifferent to any proposal to rectify it.

The public are against Umno, the MCA and MIC running along racial lines, but they are just as reluctant to see Umno, the MCA and MIC abjure racial politics.

Perhaps many are convinced racial politics could be obliterated the moment BN is toppled.

That said, we have to admit that BN is still going to rule for another five years whether we like it or not, although no one can be sure whether it will still be in power five or 10 years down the road.

Racial mentality survives not only within BN; it has flourished all over the public sector as well as every realm of our society.

The point is, dissolution of all component parties within BN for a pluralistic “New BN” offers a unique opportunity to reverse the country’s deeply ingrained racial politics.

It is not just for the ruling coalition, but the nation as a whole.

Some have argued, often quoting sources, that there is no way BN can become a multiracial political party, which I think is a kind of pessimistic assumption and self submission, totally unconstructive to the advancement of our society’s progress.

The value of human civilisation will receive a lift if we insistently pursue what many think is impossible.

For instance, most people living in the Untied States some one and a half centuries ago believed slavery should be carried on even though some felt this was morally unacceptable.

The entire South rose up against Abraham Lincoln, even in the form of a civil war, knowing that he intended to abolish slavery, while the North was divided over it.

Just as Lincoln pressed ahead with the Permanent Slavery Amendment in Congress, his aides warned him of possible split within his Republican Party, and him parting with his presidency.

Lincoln cared not about his presidency nor the seats secured by his party; he saw the future of his country and was morally bound to see that justice was done.

He did not back down nor say: “It’s not yet time to abolish slavery. We shall talk about this later!”

He believed many in his country would continue to lead sub-human lives as long as slavery was not abolished. As a leader of the country, he could not live a day longer with his conscience unclear.

So, he pressed on and finally won the moral battle against the stark reality.

I recalled this historical episode in the hope our prime minister-cum-BN president Najib Razak will not shy away from the moral opportunity that is at hand, but go all out to make history.

Dissolution of BN would invariably deal a direct blow on Umno which in the peninsula has always been a champion of Malay rights and victor from the past till the present. To terminate or change Umno could render him an unpardonable sinner in Malay society.

Nevertheless, morally speaking, to decimate racial politics and ensure sustained national unity, it is imperative that he put an end to ethnically oriented political parties for a multiracial one.

Succeeding in spearheading this epochal mission will elevate Najib to a level higher than that of a prime minister, a party president or even the entire ethnic community, but to one of author of Malaysian history! — mysinchew.com