AUGUST 1 —  I’ve always equated the pendatang issue the equivalent of kids in a playground arguing over a swing set, saying "we were here first” and using it to hog the set out of spite when others just want to have the same amount of fun.

Well, in Malaysia today the metaphorical playground is packed with kids, and we really need to learn to share.

To simplify my thoughts, anyone can call another a pendatang, depending on how far back you want to go in time.

If we go back to the time of the Vietnam War, I’m sure we can find Vietnamese pendatangs. If we go back to the Marcos regime in the Philippines, we will find Filipino pendatangs.

If we go back to the purges of Sukarno and later Suharto, we will find Indonesian pendatangs.

If we go back to the British empire, a lot of Indians are pendatangs. If we go back to China’s Cultural Revolution and their Civil War, even the changes in dynasties one after the other, we will also find pendatangs.

If we go to the era of Chola ascension, we will find Hindu pendatangs. If we go back to the days of the Abbasid Islamic dynasty we will find Islamic pendatangs.

If we go further back, we will find that Melaka was started by a murderous pendatang who tried to take over Singapore and failed.

If we go back even further to those believing evolution, we are all African pendatangs.

Or if you believe Abrahamic religions we are all heavenly pendatangs cast out because our ancestors got conned by the Devil as a snake to eat a fruit.

Thus, do we go all the way back to Adam AS or do we nitpick and choose which part of history to fit our narrative of ownership over land?

Because if we do wish to look at history and claim a land simply because we were here first, using religion, then what differentiates us from the Zionists of Israel?

But at the same time, if we lay claim to a land without looking at who lives there currently, and who initially set it up initially, just wanting it for ourselves by demanding a share and just ousting the population using force, using economic power and even laws biased for the rich, then what differentiates us from the Zionists of Israel as well?

So where do we stand on this is rather precarious. It’s an age old question that needs to be answered but needs to be answered with tact and consideration.

But most of all, acceptance of current conditions and reconciliation, towards a unified people beyond racial, religious and economic lenses.

That, would be as close to utopia as you can venture.

So, what should the government do? They’ve tried racial affirmative action time and again to no avail and staggered growth.

What was once a privilege of using the swing set, suddenly becomes a right to claim it for eternity.

This was particularly because the affirmative action with a racial tint forgot to look at those who hoard wealth on one end of the spectrum, while forgetting about equal opportunities on the other.

In other words, the kid with his personal swing set at home comes up with a gang to claim the playground swing set for his friends, rather than invite his friends home to share his own swing set.

So, perhaps the government being the metaphorical parent should consider more swing sets and inform people to share, rather than expect the kids to sort it out on their own?

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.