To the Honourable Prime Minister of 1Malaysia.
Sir,
First, allow me to thank you for your well-wishes.
I don't know if I speak for the others, but there are a few things I would like you to explain - since it was you who created this 1Malaysia.
Sir, explain what 1Malaysia means - before a lot of us misconstrue your meaning and give our interpretation to others.
Interpretations of the Koran is as diverse as our cultures and traditions so let us have just one interpretation of 1Malaysia.
I really do not know and am in the lurch as to what exactly 1Malaysia stands for.
To state feelgood words like Perseverance, Culture, Excellence, Loyalty, Humility, Meritocracy, Integrity, Education and Acceptance is pleasant to read but they are merely words. When they give meaning in the context of a peaceful Malaysia then they are words of wisdom.
I could add many more words - two very important ones being Respect and Compassion, for your mother, father, for the country and for all.
To look at it from a positive perspective - it means - all races, Malays, Indians, Chinese, Kadazans, Ibans - and all the different races - are now Malaysians. Am I right?
One big step was the abolition of the quota system. Then I read and heared it on TV - for all Malaysians to see - that word ... 'bumiputra'. And later I read that it was a different quota system that was discussed. How naive of me.
1Malaysia has no place for 'bumiputra'. That goes against the very essence of 1Malaysia - as I perceive it to be.
Who are these 'bumiputras'?
Can you please go on the air - on TV preferably, and clear the confusion?
I give credit where it is due. I see you as a good leader but I also see a possibilty of a good leader just shouting slogans of 'we are all one' but not doing much about it.
We need mutual respect and mutual respect can only surface with ALL races being equal.
No 'ketuanan' attached to any race, eradication of corruption, no terrorists or harbouring any of them, wiping out poverty, and above all, no race and religion stated in our Identity Cards. All that should be stated is ... Malaysian.
Freedom of worship, no imposing the ISA on any Malaysian or the OSA, No NEP only give us what belongs to us - Freedom of speech, Freedom of a peaceful demonstration ( which will never occur if it is indeed 1Malaysia ), Freedom of thought and expression - Freedom of the Press, Seperation of Powers, Justice for all and other attributes relating to a 1Malaysia.
The ISA should be used only on criminals. The communists have gone but now we have the infiltration of unwanted racists with ethnic cleansing stamped on their foreheads and has been ingrained in their perverted minds.
I see a few positive changes - even on TV - now more of 1Malaysia is being used - salam satu Malaysia ... nice to hear it. But is that the end of 1Malaysia? Does 1Malaysia end there - just talk?
I feel one of the first things you should do is to outlaw BN's component parties - UMNO, MCA and MIC. Here lies the root cause of all problems.
Just weeks after you launched the concept of 1Malaysia came a whole lot of uncouth people - blatantly flouting the 1Malaysia concept - and these people are from the grassroots to MIC, MCA and UMNO.
Either these people do not respect your 1Malaysia or they know something I don't.
Mr Prime Minister, Let us think of our children and generations to come - that this land is for all Malaysians. I had a glimpse of it in the 50s. My friends were from different ethnic backgrounds. We never once thought of the other as Malay, Indian or Chinese.
We ate together, played together - fought amongst each other without making it a racial issue - there was never a thought of a racial issue when we quarreled or fought. There was no Malay who mentioned that he was the master and he belonged to the Master race. We did not even know what that meant. There were no derogatory racial remarks hurled at each other.
The 60s too saw racial unity - but then it was the beginning of 'Islamization' or should I say 'Arabisation', the ketuanan Melayu and claims of Malays being the 'indigenous' people and the other races being migrants - the Landlords and the Tenants.
Lately, a few days ago, I heard that word again ... the indigenous' people, referring to the Malays! There goes 1Malaysia, I thought.
Sir, surely you must know that Malays, Chinese and Indians are ALL migrants. We know who the indigenous people are - not the Malays, Chinese or the Indians.
So Mr Prime Minister, please educate me on what 1Malaysia really is - what does it actually mean.
I am trying so hard to hang on to my optimistic interpretation that I am a Malaysian first and then my race. I pray to God Almighty that I am right.
If I am, then I salute you as being the very first Prime Minister of this country who tried to unite all races - you will have made history - you will be remembered as just that and respected the world over. Will you be the one? Or perhaps we have yet to wait for that elusive leader who will represent Malaysians?
You have a daunting task ahead of you as I believe that certain quarters ( who are even around you ) do not want this 1Malaysia concept. Being the man at the helm, please get rid of these cretinous cockroaches.
No more hegemony, discrimination, racial and religious bigotry - I believe all of us - and I dare say, even my Malay ( Malaysian ) friends - had enough of this infighting and silly racial prejudice.
I saw and heard you say, 'maaf zahir dan batin', and I believe you sincerely meant it and begin a new era of uniting the multi-ethnic race of Malaysia.
Mr Prime Minister, if it is not you, then someday, there will be a leader in this country, who will release us all from the chains of oppression and free us from the shackles of servitude.
Let us all work together and live in peace and harmony.
TDM came up with the NEP and deluded the Malays into thinking they were being 'robbed' by the other races, thus creating confusion and animosity among the races - the beginning of a social and cultural milieu.
TAAB woke up one day and came up with Islam Hadhari - which confused the Malays even more.
Then you came up with 1Malaysia - which is driving all of us into an implicit state of confusion.
Is it a some kind of a trend that all PMs should come up with some kind of a dictum to please and give hope to the Rakyat?
Here is one that I believe will be true if this country is not ruled by a dauntless PM:
Things Fall Apart, the center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
Inventing catchy phrases is one thing ... enforcing it is another.
I am, no matter what anyone says, still optimistic about the country's future. I still believe that someday, this country will indeed be Malaysia Truly Asia.
I write this with absolute respect for you as the leader of this beautiful country. It could be complete with all races being ... Malaysians. You Sir, can make this happen. A dream for all Malaysians.
P.S. After more than one hour, finally it said, my message is too long. So what can I write? Dear Mr Prime Minister, Happy Deepavali? Thank you for 1Malaysia without knowing what it is?
I need to write what I feel and what everyone wants to know.
I wish to have a direct answer from the PM ( not from his political secretary ) - as a citizen of Malaysia, what his newly created 1Malaysia means.
If he is a PM who cares, he must answer my question which is what everyone I meet is talking about - each one having his own theory and interpretation of 1Malaysia.
Some say, 1Malaysia is for one race - the master race aka ketuanan melayu.
I therefore, being injenuous, need a proper answer - a simple question requiring a simple answer.
A Malaysian Dream or a Nightmare?
God bless Malaysia.
