WE were never like this before. I have never seen a Malaysia so divisive as this. Every issue divides us, even insignificant ones, like things that we can brush off as petty or minor. But no, we harp on it ferociously, spending precious time and resources. And spewing lots of anger and intensity.
We have come a long way to be where we are today. It was a difficult journey. A tedious and precarious one. But we triumphed. We have gone through trials and tribulations as a nation. We survived poverty, uncertainties, despair, crises, even racial tensions. We were single-minded in our pursuit as a nation of rainbow colours — to prove the exuberance of diversity.
As we embarked on the journey of the new century, we faced new challenges, which is understandable. But we are forging ahead with distrust in our bellies and anger in our minds. We developed a mentality of “us” versus “them”. We become suspicious and allow identity contestations to overrule our judgment and good faith.
We are venturing into the realm of extremism, either linguistically, culturally, religiously and, worst, politically. It looks like we are guarding our “interests” more than the “bigger” interests of the nation. It matters no more if our actions will affect others. We want to carve a name as heroes of “our” people. In doing so, we trample on other people’s rights and beliefs. We won’t bat an eyelid doing that, in the name of our “people”.
Many are taking the extreme route regarding race, religion and politics. The way I look at it, voices of reason and understanding are fast fading away. We celebrate differences as liabilities, not as strength any more. We are refusing to acknowledge even the existence of others in our midst.
The sad state of affairs should be worrying everyone who cares for the future. We can’t go on like this. We need to take stock. Let’s do some soul-searching, muhasabah diri, if you like. Be frank and open. And calm down, please. We are Malaysians. We need each other now more than ever before. There is simply too much anger and hatred in the air, in cyberspace and in society.
The silent majority as usual is allowing the noisy few to set the pace. That is not good for us. We must set the agenda for this country, not those clouded by biases and prejudices. We want the best for this nation, for the people, for the future. It is easy to play to the gallery, trying to appease everyone. But populism sucks. We need to be pragmatic and realistic, too.
It is the future we are talking about here. Not the political fate of a handful few. Or those with interests and hidden agendas. We have to move on with optimism and hopes, not the sense of despair and failures. We must nurture a society that is mature enough to be objective and audacious enough to fight extremism in all areas. I am not just talking about weeding potential terrorists risking their lives in faraway lands. I am referring to extremist thinking in our midst.
The prime minister has time and again reminded us about the virtue of tolerance and understanding. On the global stage, he champions the wassatiyyah — the middle path that we should be taking. The Global Movement of the Moderates is timely as it is critical. At home, he has been reiterating the need for all races — despite their religious and political standings — to move as one. There are many ways to success — for Malaysia, the only route is by working together as one.
We have seen what we can achieve if we choose to work together. Perfection is never our strength, but within that imperfections, we have achieved a lot. We can be different, no harm there, but we must interface the right way. It saddens me every time I hear that those taking the “middle road” these days are the last of the Mohicans. Everyone else has gone “right” or “extreme”.
Why is that so? Are we losing the storyline concocted by our forefathers to see that we live happily and harmoniously in a multiracial country? Are we defining ourselves from our racial, religious or political standpoint only? Does it matter that we need a healthy debate and allow dissenting views in our pursuit of a more democratic and open Malaysia? Is it too much to ask for some respect for certain institutions held in esteem even by the Constitution?
Are we forgetting that we were equally diverse before but we were closer? Which is sad. We are discarding the shared values that we held dear as we get more chauvinistic, more intensely religious but less tolerant of others.
That is not what we want as a nation.