SEPTEMBER 25 — Before anyone starts crucifying me on the big crosses we can find all around Sarawak, or accuse me of carrying the “Malayan Agenda”, please hear me out.
Malaysia just recently turned 52 years old, and instead of growing stronger and wiser in our older age, we have been caught up more with narrow and parochial issues like racial sentiments that has divided us even further rather than solidifying and forging the unity that’s so vital for the development of the country.
The racially-fuelled #merah169 was a sign of such a divide as well as a reminder of the tendency of the ruling government that is willing to play on racial and religious sentiments in order to regain control and to instil fear among the people who are willing to stand up against them.
Nevertheless, just across the divide of the South China Sea(I wonder why they didn’t petition to rename the sea :p) we, the majority of Sarawakians do not subscribe to such hatred and divide but instead hold pride in our respect and tolerance towards anyone regardless of our background.
I myself have fond memories of growing up with friends from a diverse racial and religious backgrounds yet had no issues with things like food, as my friends and I often visit coffee shops which serves Muslim and non-Muslim food under the same roof and even enjoy a bowl of refreshing ice kacang together without needing to worry whether there is a Halal certificate or not.
Even politically, the state’s ruling government has tried to distance themselves from such sentiments with BN Youth Chief Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof claiming that such sentiment are alien and not applicable in Sarawak, echoing CM Adenan’s stand on the issue. Even Adenan’s call for history books to be re-written to include non-Malays contributions is well celebrated and welcomed by people from the different divides.
So, the picture as it may seem, do paint Sarawak as the model of racial and religious tolerance and thus also having the potential to exemplify that spirit of tolerance to others, especially our cousins in the west.
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe and pride myself in the unity that is forged in our state, but let us not kid ourselves and be deceived especially by the words of people in power to deflect from the flaw that is evident in the actions of the State government.
The paradox that exists in our state is clearly shown through how the state BN leaders have continuously said that we are a picture of tolerance, and such racial sentiments is alien to us, but yet still support and enable that very regime that deliberately condones racial segregations and discriminations?
This situation basically can be illustrated with a picture of a father holding a cigarette in his hands, but yet still telling his children the dangers of smoking and to stay away from it!
They have probably said all the right things about racism, but yet they continue to empower the very regime that not only possess many leaders’ who openly making racist remarks and continue to get away with it, but also has indoctrinated and institutionalise racism in many of their policies and operations. That in itself to me, is just plain hypocrisy.
The efforts of banning so called extremist and racist from entering state is also counterproductive and to a certain extend illogical especially if the Sarawak government continues to give their unequivocal support to that very regimen that has cultivated the environment where such racist and extremist seem to thrive. Why only deal with the symptoms when you need to go to the core and cut off the root of the issue.
PBB in itself, who has the strongest grip on the state, is in fact a racial-base political party. This base promotes political segregation of races and ingrains people to think along racial lines even when it comes to upholding the interest of the general public. They, and other BN component parties were also the ones that stood aside and allowed so called “racial sentiments from the west” to sweep through the state and they did nothing then and probably only voiced out now, as the sentiment is not benefitting to them.
The fact is, saying all the right things against racism are just mere whitewash diverting from the core nature of the government that continues to condone institutionalised racism in our state and our country.
Let us not be fooled. Let us not be swayed by words of these people in power into believing in a false pretence of state when there is a clear contradiction that is reflected through their actions.
In order to genuinely speak of racial and religious tolerance, maybe it’s time the state government stop its hypocrisy and throw away the cigarette at hand.
For me, it does seem that the Sarawakian people are the model of racial and religious tolerance.
The government however, I do have strong reservations.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
