Open letter to Akmal Saleh: Please cool down and let’s all live together as one big happy family

 

DEAR Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh: It must be said to your credit that you have turned politics upside down with your brash and no-holds-barred style

Ever since you made your appearance on the national stage, you have captured the public imagination with your campaigns to teach people lessons on how to do things the right way.

The whole country has now become your classroom and, Sir, all your “pupils” are all ears as soon as you opened your mouth.

You are not a bad teacher. You are just doing your bit for our country and nobody can blame you if you – at times – give your pupils a dressing-down to correct certain mistakes.

You are not even a bad guy. We do not think you deliberately want to wreak havoc with all your controversial remarks.

Sometimes, we need to create some noise; we do surely raise a storm over some issues that caused consternation and alarm.

But in the end, it did not spiral out of control. We all somehow managed to rein in our emotions and sanity prevailed.

‘Politicians disrupting peace’

You are a politician occupying a prominent position in your party. As the UMNO Youth head honcho – a position equivalent to party vice-president – you are duty-bound to fight for whatever cause you deemed important in the national interest.

You are already a rising star in UMNO and one day -perhaps – you may lead the party as its president.

And if you play by the rules, you may even ascend to the highest office in the land. This is not impossible.

But it all depends on how events turn out in the coming years and how you tackle sensitive matters.

We do not need to remind you that Malaysia is home to many races, cultures and religions. For decades, all the ethnic communities – minor and major – have been living in harmony and mutual respect.

Yes, there was one blot that appeared in 1969 but that was an aberration and also a bitter lesson on race relations.

Nevertheless, we have moved forward and today we are on firmer ground.

But unfortunately, fear has crept into our daily life in recent times. Why? Because politicians have the habit of throwing caution to the wind when they harp on and play up controversial matters.

“You are your own worst enemy”

We are not pointing accusing fingers at you because of your political status. You are a politician and you cannot help but to play politics at times.

And when you start playing politics, of course tempers will flare and harsh words will be exchanged.

If critics cast aspersions on your character – calling you crude, rude or arrogant – it is simply because in the heat of the moment, we all think you are our sworn enemy and vice versa.

You gave us a mighty fright when you declare you will fight on and not surrender in defence of your homeland.

But who are your enemies? You seem to think that the other races are your adversaries. If this is true, it means you are preparing to resort to violence.

If violence erupts, then the minority communities will have to defend their homeland – their home, their land, their family members.

This is nonsensical. How can you harm your fellow citizens? Who will benefit if the whole country goes up in flame? Nobody.

So, why can’t Malaysians sit down and – over cups of kopi O, teh tari and roti bakar – talk on how we can make our birthplace better, safer, stronger.

Need to be courteous

There is no need to be angry. Anger only makes the fire grow bigger. We do not need heroes anymore. Let heroes stay in the movies where good guys always triumph over bad guys.

If problems – trivial or serious – surface, we don’t need to let emotions run high. We don’t need to rush to confrontation at the drop of a pin.

All we need is to stay calm and give peace a chance. You, Sir, represent the future of our country whose citizens you must at all times treat with respect and empathy.

We don’t see you as a demagogue, a zealot, a bigot or an extremist bent on raising hell. No. You are none of these. We look up to you as one of us staying as one big family in a common home.

Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh (left) with wife Datin Dr Fatin Nadhirah Idrus

And one more thing, Sir: Malaysia is our land and it belongs to all races born and bred here. In fact, we are heartened to hear you say that “Malaysia does not belong to you, the Malays or the Chinese”.

“This is our country together as one Malaysian people,” you reportedly said recently. Indeed, Sir. That’s the way. That’s the Malaysian spirit. It is our motherland we must all safeguard against external enemies.

After 68 years of independence, we can ill-afford to see our “house” divided because a nation divided cannot stand but must fall.

Come to think of it, your stance on the national flag, in a way, is vindicated when on Aug 31, tens of thousands of jubilant participants in Putrajaya waved the Jalur Gemilang avidly to prove your point that our flag must be treated with the utmost decorum.

And so, we think brighter days are ahead and we appeal to the better angels of your nature to cool down and let Malaysia move forward to greater heights of success. 

Writer’s Note: UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has since claimed trial for allegedly making a statement that is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public.

Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.

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

- Focus Malaysia.