Race Relations Act for racial harmony?

I refer to the proposed Race Relations Act which has been approved by the Cabinet to strengthen ties among the different races in the country.

Does the Act proposed create opportunities for Malaysians to explore and appreciate their differences and develop bonds among different ethnic and religious communities? After 51 years of BN rule, we have finally proposed a Race Relations Act to strengthen racial ties. This proves that the BN govt led by UMNO has been an utter failure in promoting racial harmony in Malaysia, even after the May 13 racial riots in 1969, we seem to have not learned anything, but have continued to go around in circles in trying to achieve national unity of all races.

It has been rightly pointed out that certain politicians have been the cause of racial disharmony. But in Malaysia, we have cases of the innocent being made scapegoats and conveniently detained under the ISA, while the ones who instigated it have gone scot free.

Having the Race Relations Act may not solve the fundamental issues at hand. It all boils down to our education system. A good education system must nurture in its students a desire to live in peace with people of different colour or creed, and to contribute to national unity. A multi-racial society like Malaysia, this is of vital and continued importance, but we still have cases where a mere suggestion by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid to open up UITM to a small percentage of non-Malays, have been met with vehement protests by students bordering on racial intolerance

When Malaysia experienced the racial riots in 1969, we faced a multitude of challenges to foster national unity, such as having the Rukun Negara and even the concept of Bangsa Malaysia during Dr. Mahathir's time.

But under Pak Lah's current tenure, we have failed to hear the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, but what we hear is 'Ketuanan Melayu' and the emphasis on Malay unity rather than Malaysian unity.

We have failed to respect other races and have failed to appreciate our unique qualities of being primarily Malaysian first, and our race as being secondary. BN's divide and rule policy have contributed to all this state of disharmony and disunity.

In conclusion, each of us, young or old, must play our part to maintain and improve racial harmony in our schools, universities, neighbourhood and public places. We cannot depend on the Race Relations Act alone to ensure racial ties are strengthened.
It all stems from our failed current education system and UMNO's politicians are the last people on earth who should be involved in the drafting of the proposed Act, as they should take 100% of the blame for the current poor race relations in Malaysia.

Fed up with UMNO's racial politics

We have a bunch of thugs ruling the country and using the ISA for their selfish ends to stay in power. Only cowards like them will use the ISA to silence rational dissent. Even Malaysiakini has reported that the United States has summoned the Malaysian ambassador to record its concern for the crackdown, which is an affront to human rights and democratic freedoms.

They are no different from other dictators like Adolf Hitler and his Nazis, who manipulate racial issues to work up sentiments, just like in the Ahmad Ismail saga.

We the rakyat are fed up with UMNO's racial politics. This nonsence of racial and religious politics must stop at once!!!! Hidup Reformasi !!!! Hidup Rakyat!!!!!

It's time Pakatan Rakyat do something about this nonsense once and for all and take over the Federal Govt. The BN govt is unfit to lead the country to greater heights, as all they care about is Hidup Melayu, instead of Hidup Rakyat!

Pak Lah should step down immediately, as there are even rumblings within his own cabinet, about his planned transition which is too long in 2010. He is taking the country further into the abyss of self destruction through racial and religious politics. Is Ahmad Ismail running the country, or is Pak Lah running the country? Why do we allow a thug like Ahmad Ismail get away with a three year suspension, while the rest get crucified for his sins, by being detained under the ISA.

Why is Teresa Kok, a wakil rakyat for thousands of constituents be made a threat to national security, when a thug like Ahmad Ismail who opened his mouth about the Chinese being squatters can get away with it? This is disgraceful and shows the double standards of UMNO and its ilk of arrogant racists politicians.

It all bears resemblance to Operasi Lallang in 1987, when even the innocent were made scapegoats and detained under the draconian law. This is the most shameful and disgusting episode of UMNO's racial politics and their strategy to pit the races against each other to safeguard their stupid interest for the sake of Malay unity, rather than Malaysian unity. Racism and religious extremism have reared its ugly head through UMNO, a failed racist party, desperate for survival in the fast paced globalized world.

Sept 16 A Public Holiday?

Anwar Ibrahim turned on the pressure on Barisan Nasional with his Putrajaya crusade by announcing that Pakatan Rakyat-held states plan to observe the annual Malaysia Day on Sept 16 a public holiday and celebrate the day like their East Malaysian counterparts.

The opposition leader said the public holiday would strengthen the solidarity between Malaysians in the Peninsular and those in Sabah and Sarawak.

While Aug 31 signifies then Peninsular Malaya’s freedom from British colonial masters, he pointed out that the Malaysia Day marks the birth of this country with the merger of Malaya with Sabah and Sarawak.

Anwar said, “We will show that no one would be sidelined, isolated or discriminated under Pakatan Rakyat rule,” the PKR de facto leader told some 2,000 people at the Seberang Jaya agricultural expo site, Penang.

He later said that he would bring the Sept 16 public holiday proposal to Pakatan-held states.

However, when Pakatan takes over the federal government, the coalition plans to make Sept 16 a national holiday, but this will only take place next year.

Anwar has set Sept 16 as the dateline for him to take over the federal government with a help from more than 30 defecting BN parliamentarians, especially from Sabah and Sarawak.

Currently, BN now has 140 MPs against Pakatan’s 81 MPs.

Anwar announcement on the unprecedented Malaysia Day celebrations in the Peninsular is likely to further undermine the credibility of BN federal government and lure East Malaysian MPs to hop over to Pakatan Rakyat. The announcement expressly implied that the federal government had ignored and neglected the importance of Sabah and Sarawak since states in the Peninsular do not mark the day with a public holiday.

This has exposed the deeply-rooted grouses among Sabahans and Sarawakians of “being treated like stepchildren in the nation-building process by BN”.

Anwar is certainly capitalising on it to show to East Malaysian political leaders that a Pakatan federal government would treat them equally.

The way forward now is for Anwar to be the next Prime Minister to realise the Malaysian dream of a just Malaysia, without recourse to racial politics, where every Malaysian citizen, irrespective of race or religion is treated equally under the Malaysian sun.

(Adapted from source: Malaysiakini)