Life is not just about race and religion, values matter more

 

For far too long, Malaysians have been wallowing in the mud of race and religion. I do feel that all of us are inherently racist by nature.

For, in my simplistic interpretation, race is the culmination of centuries of evolution and a product of familiarity with a particular set of physical features, language, food, culture and maybe religion.

I see no logical reason why a Nigerian Muslim cannot at once be at home and feel comfortable with an Indian Malaysian or, for that matter, a Caucasian Jew with a Chinese Buddhist.

We all have been blessed with that value called humanity. We have all been programmed to live in harmony with people of various colours and faiths and different backgrounds.

What holds humanity together? Without doubt, they are the good old-fashioned values. Values are universal. Values are eternal. This country now needs to urgently restore our belief in honesty, accountability, transparency, kindness, pride and honour, among other virtues.

A heinous crime like rape or murder is wrong, irrespective of your ethnicity or faith. Theft, bribery, breach of trust and all other forms of corruption are unacceptable, whether you are Malay, Chinese or Indian. Or a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Hindu.

We should not just be teaching our children to pray five times a day, read the Bible or break a hundred coconuts on an auspicious occasion. We should keep on reminding them that rape, murder, theft or corruption are just unacceptable. Period.

Unfortunately, many leaders in the nation have spent too much time trying to promote race and religion, knowingly or otherwise, as “weapons of mass destruction”. It is now time for us to use these same tools to unite the country.

Let’s all start talking and writing about values for the pen, and how the keyboard can be mightier than the sword. I have had the privilege of being born a Hindu who studied in a Christian missionary institution which taught me noble values.

And to boot, I spent the two best years of my professional life as a doctor in the 19th Royal Malay Regiment. I have been in the midst of all races and religions all my life and the core message was the same everywhere. Never once did I feel threatened or insecure!

The values we adopt, nurture and cherish will help drive away fear. Be it fear of another race or fear of another religion. Real estate people always say “Location, location, location!”

Taking this as a cue, nation builders must start shouting ”values, values, values!” Values that will separate us from being ordinary human beings to being just human.

There should be absolutely no room for hypocrisy or double standards which seem to be the bane of our country’s progress. The Malaysia I wake up to every morning seems to only instil a feeling of despair.

I pray that we all wake up in a country of hope, at least in my lifetime.

Malaysia Boleh!

Dr Venugopal Balchand is a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.