The chairman of the Special Select Committee on Inter-State and Federal Relations, Hassan Karim (photo, above) believes the usage of the term 'Bangsa Johor' should be stopped immediately.
He said he considered it unhealthy as Malaysia is a federal state.
According to Hassan, the Johor people should not be too obsessed with the state-based term because it was of a non-national character.
”The state's priority should be Malaysian unity,” he said.
“I'm proud of being a Johor boy but I support the Federation of Malaysia,” he said when met by reporters in the Parliament lobby today.
Hassan, who is also the state PKR chairman, said Johor was only one of the states in Malaysia and that there were 12 other states plus federal territories.
”From the concept of anthropology and sociology of a Malaysian nation - we are Malays, we are Chinese, we are Iban, we are Kadazan, we are Indians - so we are all Malaysians, that is my position.
”We must educate our nation in the national identity of Malaysia for decades - if we have Bangsa Terengganu, Bangsa Kedah, it will just divide and confuse us.”
The Pasir Gudang parliamentarian said he had to express his views even though they might seem to be in conflict with the Johor palace.
”I am a member of the parliament, meaning I speak as an elected representative of the people. Freedom of speech and difference of opinion are also very important,” he said. - Mkini
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