THE MORE INCITING THE MORE IT SUITS UMNO PUPPET-MASTERS! Call for Chinese schools ban a dangerous precedent

Many people give their thumbs-up to Sarawak chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who has become a very rare breed, especially over here in the peninsula.

His magnanimity is vastly different from the behavior of most politicians in the peninsula. For example, PJ Utara Umno deputy chairman Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad recently claimed that Chinese primary schools had become a hotbed for the opposition parties to spread racist anti-government emotions among the public, and proposed that the November Umno general assembly debate the issue of abolishing Chinese primary schools in the country.

Adenan dismissed such discourse as idiotic.

Meanwhile, Perkasa also urged the government to stop providing allocations to schools of other language streams and not to recognize the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

In contrast, Adenan set the rare precedent by offering RM3 million to four Chinese independent secondary schools in Sarawak.

Tan Sri Adenan Satem

As if that is not enough, he is also strongly against calling Chinese Malaysians as pendatang.

Malaya has been independent for 57 years now, while Malaysia has been established for 51 years. Why then do we stay divided until this day?

We are all Malaysian citizens born and raised in this land. Why is it not possible for a country with such expansive land like ours to ever accommodate people from different ethnic backgrounds?

Such lunatic behavior and statements have not come from extremist NGOs alone, they are also joined by some of our former cabinet ministers and judges.

These people vowed to preserve the country's multicultural society when they were in power. Unfortunately, their attitudes have changed as soon as they unloaded their official duties. Some of the ex-judges were champions of justice and righteousness, but have since turned racists after retirement.

Gerakan Rakyat has suspended Tan Lai Soon, a member from Parit Sulong division in Johor, for his provocative remarks.

Other BN parties should also do the same thing, taking action against members issuing extremist and racist statements.

The country has been inundated by extremist remarks of late, including calls to close down Chinese primary schools, ban the Oktoberfest, etc. This shows that xenophobic mentality has seeped into the minds of many people, including our civil servants.

Under the influences of ill-intentioned politicians and media, such xenophobic ideas have found fertile ground in this country to grow. The nation will be in real crisis if we allow them to prosper and propagate.

Harmony is the solution for peaceful coexistence of people of different cultures and religions, while xenophobia is non-accommodating and intolerant, rejecting all forms of dialogue among religions and conflicting the government's initiative to promote a multicultural society

The Perkasa Selangor branch has indicated that all kinds of vices now plaguing the country such as betting centres, brothels, beer festivals and touch-a-dog event have become a force to attract tornadoes to settle in this country. More worryingly, many people begin to be convinced by such ridiculous remarks and downright reject liberalism.

Without the slightest doubt, xenophobia has been spawned out of a lack of self confidence and sense of security, thus seeing other people as potential intimidation.

In the meantime, Malaysians' thinking power has deteriorated, allowing such extremist and xenophobic remarks to infiltrate, expand and dominate in our midst.

Countries plagued by racial or religious conflicts are relatively backward in economic development. To become a fully developed country, we will have to learn to be more open-minded and accommodating.

Indonesia's new president Joko Widodo has vowed to suppress racism and religious extremism, while Myanmar has liberalised its economy.

If we were to continue engross ourselves in ethnic and religious confrontation, we will not be able to face the stiff competition from our neighbours, and will get wiped out in a matter of time. – Sin Chew Daily