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Thursday September 10, 2009

No place for bigotry

ALONG THE WATCHTOWER BY VEERA PANDIYAN


Mutual respect is the only way forward to achieving true national unity

MALAYSIA Truly Asia, Unity in Diversity, 1Malaysia. Are these merely hollow slogans?

Many are beginning to think so since the obnoxious cow head protest over the relocation of a Hindu temple and subsequent fracas in the meeting between Section 23, Shah Alam, residents and Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The latest incidents are a woeful reminder that mistrust and intolerance not only lie beneath the veneer of our civility but also seem to have spread to alarming levels.

It is a tragic reflection of how our nation-building process had gone awry 52 years after Merdeka, the result of political manipulations for shortsighted interests.

An entire generation has grown up imbued with beliefs and values that are too disparate to enable meaningful interactions.

The anger, rudeness and thuggery displayed by some people during the dialogue between Section 23 residents and Khalid reflect the current odious levels.

Yesterday, 12 people were charged with illegal assembly in connection with the cow head protest. Six of them were also charged with sedition.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on all Muslims to exercise religious tolerance and show mutual respect for other races as written in the Quran.

There’s no denying that national unity has been the cornerstone of the Prime Minister’s agenda since he took over the helm of the country.

He has been urging Malaysians from all ethnic groups to accept rather than tolerate each other, adding that the nation can develop and prosper further only through their acceptance of each other.

“We must begin to accept, because tolerance is a concept of accepting grudgingly. We must understand that we are a multi-racial and multi-religious country,” he has been frequently quoted as saying.

But recent events prove that things are not going too well, even at the stage of tolerance. Tolerance is fraying, and even bursting, at the seams – fortunately, only in some places.

Unless strong political will is exercised to check the slide, acceptance may well remain a distant dream,

What is tolerance? Dictionaries trace the time-worn word to French and Latin usage to mean “endurance, fortitude,” and “to bear”. It was first recorded in 1539 to mean “permissiveness” in relation to authorities and used to mean “free from bigotry” in relation to individuals, in 1765.

But as we know, bigotry and extremism, still rule okay in Malaysia.

And when it comes to certain issues deemed to be perpetually “sensitive”, so does mob rule. In our context of nationhood, they are indeed the proverbial sacred cows.

As such, both the Federal and state governments, including those ruled by Pakatan Rakyat, must be courageous enough to take the bull by its horns.

They must be firm in ensuring that tolerance is an ethical prerequisite for all to respect each other’s basic rights and freedom.

They should never give in to any form of insularity and prejudice and, more importantly, be prepared to punish those who defy, even if they come from their own ranks.

As attitudes, values and respect must be taught from young, it is clear that our education system needs a thorough review to include emphasis on the true meaning of respect for all races and all religions.

Two years ago, when Malaysia marked its 50th year of independence, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute’s (Asli) Centre for Public Policy Studies issued a commendable eight-point statement.

The main thrust of the declaration, drafted after consultation with 42 organisations covering the gamut of Malaysian voices, was the need for new and sustained efforts to rebuild national unity.

It called for the National Unity Advisory Panel, (which, incidentally, has not met for about a year) to be made an independent National Unity and Integration Commission that is answerable to Parliament and with powers to review laws, policies and practices that hinder unity.

Among other things, it also called for a Truth and Reconciliation Committee to deal with major incidents of conflict in the country’s past, to bring about necessary healing of the national psyche and progress towards a peaceful shared future.

Reaffirming that Islam is the religion of the country and that the freedom to profess and practice the religions of choice as enshrined in the Federal Constitution does not threaten this position, it said any extremism in ethnicity, religion and gender should not be propagated nor tolerated at any level.

The crux of it was that the Federal Constitution as the Supreme Law of the land should be the fundamental reference point for strengthening national unity, and all policies should be tested against its tenets.

Political will is the only solution to bring about real change in attitudes and mindsets. It has to be exercised firmly to turn this nation into what it was meant to be.

■ Associate Editor M. Veera Pandiyan likes this Italian proverb: He who lets the goat be laid on his shoulders is soon after forced to carry the cow.

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