The Aliens Have Landed.

• By Mariam Mokhtar

Yin says that Covid-19 could be the common enemy which will finally unite us. Malays will die from C19 just like the Chinese or Indians. It is in the interest of everyone that we have a Government of Malaysians for Malaysians. That we fight all our battles together against a common enemy and not with each other.

Yes the aliens have landed and they look like a ball of fur. Earth has called it Covid-19 (code: C19).

No, I am not trivialising the seriousness of Covid-19 but making the point that this is the common enemy that can finally unite us.

Except for the U.S. which is still pointing fingers; the world is already uniting to fight this pandemic. China has used its experience and economic power to help Italy and for which the Italians are grateful.

Knowledge is being shared among nations – with those who have been successful in containing it advising those who are still battling it.

What about in Malaysia?

C19 has made certain facts abundantly clear:

1. No race is an island. Bumiputraism does not immunise the Malays against Covid-19  anymore than the Chinese or Indians. We are in this together.
2. Malay leaders have always classified issues along racial lines. Hence they hold ‘Malays Only’ Congress. They must realise that there is no such thing as Malay (only) problems.  Any problem facing any community affects the others. They are Malaysian problems. Hence it needs to be handled collectively – not on racial lines. Covid-19 has made this very clear.
3.  We need the best people to run the country irrespective of race. By having a Malay Government is Perikatan Nasional implying that the best people are only the Malays?There is no need to go into the dhobi list of dirty laundry soiled by Malay leaders – it’s common knowledge.

A situation like what we are facing must surely convince the Malays that using our best people irrespective of race or religion is the way to get the best results.
This is not the time to play racial politics – it never has been!

• The economy which was already teetering towards recession will surely be in recession with this Covid-19 pandemic. World trade will slow and as an exporting country we will be hard hit.

How will this Malay Government deal with it? Will it still view it as a Malay problem? Will government assistance only target Malay businesses? Can we still afford to carry the discounts for bumiputra house purchases? Discounts for purchasing shares? All the bumiputra perks which a healthy economy could carry? Will more monopolies to Malays and all the special privileges that differentiate the Malays from the others – tools of division I call them.

This is not an essay attacking the Malays. It is about the need to jettisson decades of race politics and unite as one people.

No, I am not digressing . . . Unless we forget race and religion we will never solve our country’s problems.

Covid-19 offers us a lesson in the need to unite inorder to fight a common enemy. Beyond the virus (which we will contain eventually), is the question of where do we go from here. There will surely be other Covid-19s facing our country in the future. What then?

We need a Bangsa Malaysia. We need a Malaysia for All Malaysians – not just some. We need a Malaysia run by honest and competent people; not one which because of its religion or race is allowed to government despite being corrupt; as  some misguided zealots have advocated.

We need a united Malaysia.

In my last posting I alluded to the fact that the common enemy could come in the form of the collapse of our economy. I spoke of a scenario when one has to resort to selling nasi lemak and even that, it is impossible to feed one’s family and then they finally revolt.

Never in my TR dreams did I think it would come so soon.

The French Revolution started because people could not afford bread. They were famously told to eat cakes instead. Najib when he was PM  allegedly told Malaysians to eat Kangkong. How disconnected the rich and powerful are from us?

The Arab Spring was ignited by a fruit seller who literally ignited himself when he was harrassed by the authorities for trying to feed his family in a bad economy.

What happens if or when Covid-19 bring our economy to its knees?

Inshallah we will get out of this one. But what about the next?

Malays will die from Covid-9 just like the Chinese or Indians. It is in the interest of everyone that we have a Government of Malaysians for Malaysians. That we fight all our battles together against a common enemy and not with each other.

Truth be told, it’s not the non-Malays who reject Bangsa Malaysia. They have been asking for it for 60 years. It’s the Malays, misled by their leaders; who do not want unity.

Could Covid 19 be the common enemy which will finally unite us?

By Yin, 

Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan

P.S. I would like to hear stories where Malays and non-Malays have reached out to help the other in this crisis. Videos would be even better. Please share.

This will show the poltiicians that we are one Bangsa Malaysia; that we will watch out for each other irrespective of race or religion; despite the politicians trying to divide us.