Will Malaysians continue to support- not supplant – unity, diversity despite formidable challenges? The answer is ‘YES’

By Habib Toumi

Manama: Going through the message of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as he addressed his fellow citizens on Friday, the eve of the country’s Independence Day, revived my memories of my first visit to Kuala Lumpur in 2009.

In his message, Mahathir insisted on the significance of all Malaysians coming together, regardless of their religion, race and culture, “to reflect on how the spirit of goodwill and nationhood has helped Malaysia achieve independence and develop into a successful country.”

“Malaysia was built on the values of tolerance, strong character, mutual respect, the willingness to give and share, selfless attitude and readiness to sacrifice for the sake of the country,” he said.

Without such values, Malaysia would not grow into a developed country capable of giving its people comfort and progress, he cautioned.

“Unfortunately, if we look around us, as we bask in the progress in communications and digitalization, these noble values have been sidelined and replaced by bad characteristics which are ugly and disgusting,” he deplored.

Such negative character would usually rear its ugly head in the face of sensitive issues on race and religion, Mahathir warned, especially that “defending their own race and religion, people hurled insults against other races and religions with the use of abusive and harsh words, which would definitely cause anger and anxiety.”

Back in 2009, and building on patriotic feel-good sentiments, national figures were advising Malaysians to remain united in the face of ominous challenges mainly by parties using race and religion to undermine the country’s unity and harmony.

At the time, large billboards were highlighting the message “Together in unity, a nation in harmony. One Malaysia”, typed in bold letters next to the picture of four smiling children of different ethnicities.

Charlie, the taxi driver who was taking me and my wife from Kuala Lumpur to Penang in the north said that he strongly believed in the vision.

“We should work together to achieve it. The ‘One Malaysia’ concept is laudable. Malaysian society needs to recognize and celebrate differences,” he said.

Against the backdrop of political parties fighting for mileage, the call for unity ran the risk of being seen as electoral maneuvering.

A Malaysian analyst said the objective of “One Malaysia” was “noble”. “Except for a minority bent upon promoting racial and religious discord, everyone wants national unity and to overcome barriers to promote better understanding,” he said.

However, not everybody appreciated the concept. Many said they were confused mainly because of the earlier concept of “Malaysian Malaysia”, the catchphrase for a multi-racial Malaysia launched in the 1960s.

Sceptics denounced both the concept and its context as purely political while others cautioned that unity could not be achieved without a better-balanced economic footing.

I remember how journalist Noor Azam in August raised the temperature of the national debate and urged Malays to rise up to face the challenges posed by the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia.

“Based on the number of non-Malay candidates who could win the next general elections, it can be imagined which ministries they will want. Who will hold the positions of chief secretary, secretary-generals, department director-generals, senior officers and district officers? Who will be senior officers in the police and military? Strangely there are many Malay-Muslims who are also expressing hatred for the powers held by their own race. The Malay race has become a race of stupid cowards and people who are cowards will die before even their deaths.”

The journalist went on to claim that “the attacks and the hatred shown by the opposition and Chinese and Indian political activists towards the Malays have worsened”.

His comments were expectedly condemned as racist and contrary to the one-family spirit in Malaysia, a country where racial peace has prevailed since 1969 after dozens of people were killed in riots sparked by Malay frustration over the economic clout of the ethnic Chinese. The violent protests spurred the launch of programmes that gave Malays privileges in government jobs, contracts and education.

A rare street demonstration occurred in 2007 when ethnic Indians clashed with the police during a rally to support a $4-trillion lawsuit filed in London by the Hindu Rights Action Force, a group seeking compensation from Britain for bringing their Indian ancestors to the country as “indentured laborers” and exploiting them.

In 2009, two years later, the unifying theme “One Malaysia” hoped to overcome racial tension and bolster national unity.

According to Dr Shamsul Ameri Bahar Al Deen, an ethnic relations expert, Malaysia’s national unity has happened through four simultaneous processes: assimilation, accommodation, acculturation and amalgamation.

For Bahar Al Deen, the accommodation process can be seen from the open house festival, an event attended by all races, while acculturation is a way of life in Malaysia.

“It is not surprising to see a Chinese wearing a baju melayu, a Malay wearing a cheongsam or an Indian wearing baju kurung in Malaysia through the borrowing of each other’s culture,” Bahar Al Deen said.

“The amalgamation or fusion of cultures is visible in dance forms such as machinda which combine Malay, Chinese and Indian dance movements, now known collectively as ‘dance medley’.”

Malaysian youth seemed to be thrilled by the perspectives offered by the new concept.

“Malaysians should unite. If we can create a formula, it can serve as a prerequisite to achieve our country’s aspiration for developed nation status by 2020,” said Mariana Nabila Ahmad Zuber, 17, from Kuala Terengganu.

For Mohamad Fazril Amal, 16, One Malaysia “should be able to fully utilize each Malaysian’s brain, body and spirituality”.

Zahiah Abdul Aziz, 17, said that tremendous support of the nation was very important.

“Tolerance will play an enormous role in developing the relationship between government and citizens to achieve One Malaysia,” she said.

Elsheba K. Abraham, 16, said: “We should look at one another as Malaysians, not as Chinese, Malays, Indians or whatever. We must understand the concept of One Malaysia and know that it could work only with cooperation between the people and the government.”

In his historical account of what happened in Malaysia after its independence in 1957, Mahathir Mohammad said independent Malaysia recognized the citizenship rights of the non-Malay and granted them freely.

“This is unlike many countries in the region where strict conditions were imposed. In fact, some immigrants were actually expelled. The hope for independence was that the non-Malays would accept a single national language and a single national identity. But it became clear very quickly that the Chinese and the Indians wanted to retain their identities, their mother tongues and cultures. They did not want to be solely Malaysians, certainly not Malay. At the beginning some prominent people tried multi-racial politics but this was rejected by the ordinary Malays, Chinese and Indians. In the end we settled for a compromise — retain your racial identity but cooperate with each other in a coalition of racial parties.”

However, the formula collapsed when English schools were abolished and the Malays, Chinese and Indian children went to their own schools rather than to the national schools where the teaching was in the national language.

“The hope for true national integration faded. After this, even the attempt to put the schools from the three language streams in one campus was rejected by the Chinese … The lower-ranking leaders, the ordinary members of political parties and the people as a whole had shown no sign of forgetting their racial identities. There may be few liberal-minded ones who reject race but some who do this do so because they believe their own race would gain by it.

“Then came the resurgence of Islam worldwide. The Malaysian Malays began to adopt Islamic conservativeness, especially with the dress code. This tended to push them further apart from the non-Muslims who saw this as an attempt to differentiate Muslim Malaysians from non-Muslim Malaysians … The behavior of some extremist exponents of Islamic separateness did not help. And so, the races drifted further and further apart.”

Mahathir then said what needed to be done to foster national unity.

“If we still want Malaysian unity, we need to be willing to make sacrifices regarding what we consider to be our racial rights. Everyone has to do this. The leaders must be given some mandate to discuss these matters in private and to make concessions. After each step the lower rung leaders of each race must be given full briefing as to why the concessions have to be made. It would be useless if they don’t agree,” he said. “Provided we can roll back the present unhealthy trends and redirect them towards more positive non-racial objectives, provided we do this slowly by small steps, we may be able to create a truly Malaysian identity where race would gradually become less important. It will take time but with sincerity we may reverse the present trends and move towards increasing cooperation and integration.”

When I met Lee, a Malaysian, near the imposing Pavilion Mall, then the latest addition to a series of impressive shopping complexes dotting Kuala Lumpur, I asked him why racial or religious issues threatened to pollute the delightful breeziness of Kuala Lumpur.

“I am originally from China, but I have never been to China and do not see why I should go there, especially because the trip is expensive. I am a Malaysian and my father was also born here,” he said.

According to Lee, relations with fellow Malaysians must not be based on race or religion.

“For example, when my Muslim friends celebrate Eid Al Fitr, I visit them and spend the day hopping from one house to the other. That is the spirit,” he said.

Tourism authorities astutely highlighted Malaysia’s ethnic diversity as an asset. Artfully prepared brochures in hotel lobbies were invariably inviting. They promoted Malaysia as a bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups lived together in peace and harmony.

“Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colourful festivals. It’s no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising. As a people, Malaysians are laid-back, warm and friendly,” one brochure said.

My wife and I could witness the rich ethnicity of Malaysia when we visited the Sungei Wang Plaza, a mall in the famous Golden Triangle shopping area of Kuala Lumpur.

Most shops were run by Malaysians of Chinese origin, but shoppers were from a remarkable mixture of religious and racial backgrounds. The mall was rich in diversity but had no religious or racial overtones of discrimination or exclusion.

“As Chinese, we do not really want to get involved in politics. My motto, like that of so many people, is to wake up in the morning and ask how much money I will make today,” said a shopkeeper, Men, laughing heartily.

At the observation deck of the Kuala Lumpur Tower, we met Ravi, a Malaysian of Indian descent. He graciously invited tourists to have their picture taken wearing traditional Malay wedding costumes from Malacca, a state steeped in history, culture and tradition, located one-and-a-half hours south of Kuala Lumpur.

“I am Malaysian, and I am proud of it,” he said about his status as he rearranged the colorful costumes while waiting for a tourist. Does he ever think about going back to the land of his ancestors?

“No way. I am Malaysian. I might want to go on a short tour to look at some of the temples, but I think of myself and live as a Malaysian.”

From his post at the 421-metre tower, he had an unparalleled bird’s-eye view of the city he loved dearly. The same observation deck is used by Muslims to help determine the beginning and the end of Ramadan, the fasting month.

In 2019, with the expansion of democratic practices in Malaysia, politicians do not hesitate to seek political mileage by taking up controversial issues that should grant them more power.

Resorting to race and religion in a multi-racial and multi-religious country is an easy, although highly dangerous, option for them.

Unfortunately, controversial issues are easy to create and easier to incense followers. And Malaysia has seen quote a few lately.

In his Independence Day message on Friday, Mahathir sought to rein in the seemingly inexorable descent into chaos and clashes.

He reminded his fellow citizens to realize and appreciate “how blessed the country is” and should therefore do their best to safeguard its prosperity.

“Maybe we should look at countries which not too long ago were enjoying riches and prosperity dreamed of by other nations. Today, these countries have been destroyed and their people have become refugees in other countries,” he said.

“This is why we should realise that when we demand for the rights and interests of our group and the other side does not want to tolerate, be considerate or forgive, it can lead to conflict,” he advised.

In a speech he gave last month, Mahathir was confident that Malaysians have now become mature enough to assess situations and appreciate that unity was crucial in facing threats.

“Malaysia has reached 62 years without the colonial grasp. Although there are times when voices of dissent seek to disrupt the peace of the people by raising racial issues, Malaysians as a whole reject such narrow beliefs and hold to the principle of tolerance and respect,” he said.

He stressed that “the philosophy and framework for building a nation that is based on a unified society must be used as the basis of our consistent struggles.”

To the 94-year old leader, the focus should be on “the importance of patriotism and love for the nation, which were among the key features of building a nation of multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society so that the people can continue to live in harmony and peace.”