As we approach the 60th anniversary of Malaysia’s founding on Sept 16, we should ask ourselves “what kind of Malaysia have we become?” Some may say we should reframe the question as “what kind of Malaysia do we want?”
It may be a little late to answer these questions (60 years is a long time), but it’s good to address them nevertheless if one has any hope for our nation, which has fallen into a deep abyss.
Even Bomba, the fire and rescue department, may not have the equipment to rescue the nation from such depths; they are not trained to rescue hopeless politicians whose favourite incendiary tool is hate speech touching on race and religion.
Our King and Queen had a whale of a time traversing the length of Borneo despite the bad roads. They have braved the treacherous moon-cratered roads and mingled and danced with the people along the way.
The adulation for the royal couple has never been seen like this in Borneo and thanks to social media we could see their human side with the pomp and ceremony usually accorded to them stripped away.
The King and Queen have been a sporting couple, taking the opportunity to ‘berbual-bual’ with the people with the Queen even seen letting her hair down while dancing with the crowd. For a short time, there were no barriers.
Where politicians have to pay busloads to pack the crowds at their ceramahs, the people came naturally to embrace the King and Queen.
No prime minister or politician has traversed the country as the royal couple have, seeing and experiencing the real Malaysia while countless people lined the roads to cheer.
If the King and Queen were to stand for election, I would vote for them to be prime minister and deputy. Actually, I would vote for the Queen to be prime minister – it’s about time we have a woman in charge of the country.
Back in the peninsula, in the deep abyss where Malaysia has fallen, we have witnessed the usual political campaign ceramahs. Election after election, we hear the same toxic campaign narratives. State assembly elections and by-elections are now like general elections, each serving as mini-referendums on the government.
Political leaders are now issuing their own fatwa, claiming it’s ‘haram’ to vote for the opposition.
On the sidelines, decades past retirement age, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is spewing racial hatred day after day, and the authorities are befuddled about what to do with him. His crusade that Malaysia belongs to the Malays has caused so much anger in the Borneo states that words like ‘secession’ have popped back into the minds of many.
The loose tongues of these radical Malays will drive Malaysia into a deeper abyss from which the country may never escape.
After the first Pakatan Harapan government of 2018-2020 agreed to introduce ‘khat’ or Jawi in schools, the current iteration of Pakatan Harapan has pulled a similar trick with the ‘Imam Al-Nawawi 40 Hadith’ module.
So much energy has been wasted debating the introduction of this religious subject yet there are no such passionate debates over how English, mathematics or science are taught.
The people are letting out a collective yawn in the face of the failing ‘reformasi‘ government. Where’s the new Malaysia? How long can we continue on this path of self-destruction?
We have clearly forgotten the Malaysia Proclamation by Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1963 which reads: “That Malaysia comprising Sabah and Sarawak (and the 11 federated states) shall, by the Grace of God, the Lord of the Universe, forever be an independent and sovereign democratic State founded upon liberty and justice, ever seeking to defend and uphold peace and harmony among its people and to perpetuate peace among nations.”
Instead we now have the so-called ‘Malay Proclamation’ which claims that Malaysia belongs to people of one race. Instead of going forward as a country, we are now descending into darkness. On the world stage, we are best known for squabbles about race and religion, not for being an economic tiger.
Sarawak has even hinted that the destructive forces in Putrajaya may push the state to establish its own currency. It may not sound immediately plausible, but it certainly woke the government from its slumber and sent the message that the Borneo states are no longer pushovers.
The federal government needs to listen and get its act together before the two halves of Malaysia drift apart and are left vulnerable to exploitation by China, Indonesia and the Philippines over territorial claims.
Despite the sinking feeling, let’s remember the Malaysia Proclamation’s message of liberty, justice and upholding the peace and harmony of the nation. Happy Malaysia Day. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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