MALAYSIAN - WHAT'S THAT? HASN'T MALAYSIA ALREADY BECOME 'MALAY-SAJA'

From the time we are born, we are put into ‘boxes’ and as our race gets ticked on the official forms announcing our arrival, we are tied to that for life.

In a country where more and more Malaysians are being born to mixed parentage, it is a wonder that the government still insists on race data. As more and more young Malaysians identify themselves as only Malaysians, the government is still stuck on asking us "What race are you?"

On top of that, there is the Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra.

While we cannot do much about the Bumiputra status for the time being due to it being in the constitution, Malaysians should ask if it is time that more pressure is put on the government to do away with race data on official forms for the sake of equal treatment for everyone, irregardless of race.

The recent announcement that the Sarawakians would not have to choose to be ‘lain-lain’ anymore when filling up their race data is much welcome. Yet, one questions: What about us people in the Peninsula? Would we get this announcement too come the next General Election?

The main question however is still: Is race data still needed? For what purpose? Health study purposes?

Unless genetic data is being collected, we should not be needing the race data at all, if at all the government is serious in its 1Malaysia call.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced on Saturday that the removal of lain-lain race category from government forms would take effect immediately.

He said the move was in line with the Cabinet’s decision and that bumiputras in Sarawak could state their respective ethnicity instead of ticking ‘lain-lain’ in government forms, The Star reported.

There has been many a time that calls have been made for the government to do away with the race data - even by ministers from Barisan Nasional.

Unfortunately, the defence given by the government is that it would not be an easy thing to do for it is an ingrained feature on all official forms since Malaya and Malaysia came into being.

The opposition had tried to make a new start by coming up with non-race based parties, but yet, due to the mentality that has been embedded into us since the day we were born, even the opposition  has failed to do away with this mindset. Thus, they too end up with collecting the race data in their membership and allocations.

With the new rule in Sarawak to do away with lain-lain, one wonders if the government had just made it more difficult for government agencies, especially in the computerised systems where data is filed in according to fixed data methods.

This is one of the few countries in the world where race based parties have been the only ruling coalition, and where people are recognised and identified according to their race first.

As we strive to be a developed nation, isn’t it time we got out of these ‘race’ boxes and just become Malaysians? Or would that be too much to ask from powers that have only known how to rule a country by dividing its people? - http://www.theheatmalaysia.com/