Professor Dr. Syed Hussein Alatas, in his distinguished book titled "A Myth of the Lazy Native," has illustrated how the ideology of colonial capitalism had to use a psychological pillory towards natives based on case studies in Asia from the 16th to the 20th centuries.
That was the superficial ridicule and almost free way of propagating that the natives were guilelessly lazy, which was the West's justification for coming to us like saviours to protect and transform uncivilised society into a so-called modern civilisation.
For millennia, Africa, the Arab World, Pakistan, India and Southeast Asia, had believed these blatant 'black ops'.
In Java, Sumatra, the Malay peninsula or the Phillippines, for example, colonialists either Dutch, British or Spanish, forced indigenous people to work like servants with low wages or even without pay, but still described them as "sluggish". This was the way colonialists enslaved the indigenous folk.
The coffee auctions in Java, as we can go over in Multatuli's novel Max Havelaar (first appeared in 1860), are a classic example of the Dutch East India Company's inhumane treatment of Javanese folk. This cruel and unjust mentality in the 19th century has carried on until today, even though some have proclaimed Havelaar as "the book that killed colonialism".
Many people thought that, by nature, Malays were not endowed with the capacity to do business. All these ideas derive their origin from the colonial image of the Malays.
Syed Hussein's book was first published in English in 1977 in London, and later, it was translated into Bahasa Indonesia (1987) and Bahasa Malaysia (1989).
In 2005, for the first time, according to Syed Hussein himself, this book was discussed among youth activists, which included this writer and a few friends, at our NGO office in Kuala Lumpur.
It is hard to believe and comprehend that the academics, intelligence and politicians of Malaysia took more than three decades to discuss a book that directly addresses us as a single race and nation.
However, I am grateful that in the past decade, Syed Hussein's ideas and research have become more common and have been debated, especially among youngsters and university students. Some have said it is better late than never.
Today, certain politicians seem very eloquent in responding to the harassment towards Malays as being "lazy" or describing non-Malays as "unfaithful" to the country.
It is sad to hear these baseless, rotten words besides proving how some native politicians carry the colonialists' temperament. It is unacceptable to us today to hear reproach that can affect national unity.
As Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, a former minister of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad's cabinet, had recalled and commented recently, national unity was one of the primary objectives of Vision 2020.
Furthermore, it is irresponsible, whether purposely or unintentionally, to denigrate non-Malays as a strategy to elicit Malay sentiment.
Clearly, people are aware that if an elite group is desperate for power or their interests are threatened, they will aggressively use the race card.
In any election campaign or political event, it is frightening to listen to a racial or hate oration which has gained more attention than ever before.
The fear we have felt from Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the US is also happening here. Racism, plus religious extremism, is indeed the "best recipe" to annihilate our long-time national integration.
As Malaysians who love our country, we cannot let any concerns escalate into racial conflicts, as has happened in the past. The bloody tragedy of May 13, 1969, began when someone poured fuel on the embers, drop by drop.
Go to social media and look for a comment or video by a non-Malay; you'll most likely see content uploaded by Malaysian Chinese or Indians who speak the national language proficiently. Some speak fluent Bahasa Melayu while teaching us how to make curry or capati.
Another example of genuine patriotism among Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, can be witnessed at stadiums when our national teams come out to play. We all rise when the national anthem is played, and we all get emotional when our athlete wins the match.
Looking forward, we must strengthen national unity through economy, culture, education and politics.
After more than six decades of independence, we cannot allow any sabotage to our democracy, whether through an attempt to topple the government outside the electoral process or by disturbing public order. Enough is enough.
* The writer, also known as Buddhi Hekayat, is a former policy director at the Selangor Menteri Besar's office (2015-2018), a political activist, and an award-winning lyricist. His writing can be read at hasmihashim.com