Thursday July 12, 2007
Musa: Middle-class Malaysians look beyond race
KUALA LUMPUR: Middle-class Malaysians reflect the true level of national unity achieved so far by the country, said former deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam.
“The middle class often sat together and discussed issues affecting them. They share the same interests in sports such as football and we saw how the cancellation of the Manchester United game affected them so much so that the Prime Minister had to respond.
“The middle class are also concerned that politicians provide them with answers and put things right. They are constantly mixing, talking and criticising while demanding more of the Government,” he said at the Tun Razak Lecture 2007 last night on the topic “Recipe for National Unity in a Changing World”.
They, he said, might be seen as apolitical but when it came to asserting their rights at the ballot boxes, the middle class voted independently and rationally rather than on racial basis.
He said that Malaysians with Internet access called each other names in cyber space when discussing racial and religious issues but that did not mean another May 13 racial riot was on the horizon.
“Of course not, unless we mishandle the flourishing democracy we have now.
“The current leadership gives more freedom of expression, greater tolerance and accountability, and the digital democracy sees a riot of ideas with no-holds barred,” he said.
“I'm happy of where we are in this respect. We let off steam through the Internet but let's not panic and shout fire,” he said.
However, he admitted that there were some blogs that were sensational and exploitative.
“But I fall back on the educated middle class for their reasoning and being rational against outright lies and provocation. This shows Malaysia has arrived so let's celebrate our 50 years of Independence.”
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