It is important that we move beyond words and truly connect with our fellow Malaysians.
BACK in my schooling days, I remember the teachers used to pride ourselves with the fact that Malaysia is a multiracial country. They used to teach us that despite the differences in our race and religion, Malaysians are able to live together peacefully and in harmony. Given that few other countries in this world are able to enjoy the same, this is something we were taught to be proud of as Malaysians.
As I have grown older, however, a new reality has set in. The reality appears to be very different from what we were taught, at least what we often see from the newspapers and television.
As soon as the 13th General Election was over, a prominent newspaper had a racial headline. Then, we have heard and read news of a Chinese youth being beaten up allegedly for insulting the religion of Islam; a headmaster being condemned for allegedly making non-Muslim students eat in the changing room; and more recently, a headmaster had apparently asked students to “balik India” and “balik China” (“return to India” and “return to China”) at a school assembly. Further controversies include a sex blogger couple, a dog trainer and Miss World competition all of which impacted on religious sensitivities.
This news has, intentionally or otherwise, created a perception that the interracial relationship in Malaysia is not as peaceful as what we were taught in school. And in all these instances, the authorities should send a clear signal that any insult against any race or religion is intolerable by charging those who are at fault.
Whilst there are merits to condemn the perpetrators of some of these cases, there are also cases which are not racial and which should never be made out to be racial. For instance, in the case of the students being made to eat in the changing room, there was nothing to do with race. The students were made to eat in the changing room not because of their race or ethnicity but the fact that the school’s canteen was undergoing renovation.
However, the photos that were circulated on the internet only had non-Muslim students having their meal in the changing room, most probably because it was taken during the fasting month. Unfortunately, this was made out to be a racial issue.
Such news has led me to question whether or not our society has become more sensitive, and at times overly sensitive, with our race and religion. Do we feel that our race and religion is inferior or do we feel that we need to show that our race and religion is superior ?
History has shown us that many major conflicts and wars were due to the fights and struggles for or against a certain race or religion. The Nazis had tried to eliminate what they saw as the “inferior” races. The former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s broke apart and was divided along Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim lines. They slaughtered each other.
Considering that our country is made up of people of different races and religions, it is not an easy job to manage this country, especially when it comes to such conflicts. This is why our past and present Prime Ministers have worked very hard to encourage and instill tolerance and acceptance between Malaysians of different races and religions. Only when we are able to live together peacefully and in harmony despite our differences in race and religion, will our country be able to further progress and develop.
To achieve this, however, what we need is not mere slogans. And what we need is more than the annual visits to our friend’s open houses when they celebrate the different new years. What we really need is a greater understanding between Malaysians of all races and religions.
To the mind of this author, we can foster such understanding through education. Be it through formal or informal education, we need to educate our children on the different cultures and beliefs of the various races and religions that exist in Malaysia.
On top of that, we need to experience these different cultures and beliefs together. We can join our Muslim friends to fast for a day or we could walk with our Buddhist friends for the Wesak Day procession. Such experiences will only enhance our knowledge and understanding of the cultures and beliefs of our friends of different race and religion. Perhaps, it is also through such experiences that we will be able to dispel the myth and suspicion that such experiences will lead to us renouncing our faith or forgetting our culture.
We can truly live up to what we Malaysians are taught to be proud of – to be able to live together peacefully and in harmony despite the differences in our race and religion.
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