Bangsa Malaysia

A few weeks before the elections, a forum about the future of Malaysian politics was organised by my university's Malaysian Society. I attended it, eager to talk a little about policies that were really affecting us at the grassroots...education, employment...stuff like that. I was a little worried that I might get boo-ed by my Malay counterparts if I mentioned the "hot" topic of the NEP. I was a little taken aback when one of the Chinese guys stood up and said

"Actually, no country is perfect...but Malaysia is a pretty good democracy. We can't have freedom of the press, because we have a multi-racial country and it will incite racial problems"

And I was just like....hello, isn't that the kind of thinking which has stunted any discussion on new policies which are more progressive for all Malaysians...and also the kind of political propaganda used in keeping bloody ISA around? I was pleasantly surprised when I heard one of the Malay speakers counter this by saying

"What is there that we can't talk about that will cause racial riots like May 13th? Nep? Take it away I don't care...Islam? Say what you like, so I can defend my faith...but there're no sensitive issues that will cause me to go out and want to kill someone from another race"

Wan Saiful Wan Jan ( the director of Malaysia Think Tank-London) was one of the speakers, and a very eloquent one at that...he put a simple question to the small number of Malay students in the room. He asked them "After coming here, and being one of the minority for a change, can you still go back home and take part in a policy which discriminates against the minority races?" "How would you feel if there were such a policy here in the UK?"

The "political tsunami" that was the 2008 elections hopefully reflects his forward thinking...that people are starting to see themselves as Bangsa Malaysia and not Bangsa Melayu, Cina or India anymore.

~DS~