Giving A Sense Of Belonging And Well Being To All

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One of the important things we have to grapple with repeatedly in Malaysia is the feeling of alienation from the mainstream of the key groups in the country, which, for simplicity, I shall divide into Malays, other bumiputeras, and non-Malays.
Disunity among key sectors is becoming more and more prevalent, nearly 70 years after independence for the peninsula and over 60 years for Sabah and Sarawak. At the heart of this are false beliefs which need to be dispelled and the truth that has to be grappled with.
If we want to forge some semblance of unity among the three groups, the underlying problems ailing them must be looked at, analysed, and feasible solutions to the problems formulated, starting with identifying them in the first place.
There is no systematic way of doing this - there will be shortcomings. One which I shall attempt to do here is to identify the main gripes of each group and suggest what could be done to deal with this as a whole, taking into account everyone’s concerns. It aims at fairness and equity for the most part - the common good.
ADSThe chart shows demographic compositions of citizens, excluding foreign residents in Malaysia.
Rounding off the citizenship figures, some six tenths of the population are Malay and four tenths non-Malay. The important subgroups within that are Chinese (22.5 percent), non-Malay bumiputeras (12.4 percent, mainly in Sabah and Sarawak), and Indians (6.6 percent).
(The demographic compositions, including foreign residents in the country, are as follows: 50.1 percent of the population are Malay, 22.6 percent are Chinese, 11.8 percent are indigenous bumiputera groups other than the Malays, 6.7 percent are Indian, and other groups account for 0.7 percent. Non-citizens account for 8.2 percent of Malaysia’s resident population)
It’s important to note that there are significant numbers of Malays in both Sabah and Sarawak, although exact numbers are difficult to track down. Broadly speaking, the interests that need to be taken care of are Malays, non-Malays (Chinese and Indians mainly), and non-Malay bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Orang Asal in the peninsula.
The key to unlocking some good would be solutions which cut across all races and groups, for instance, an attack on poverty will benefit all groups, but the Malays and non-Malay bumiputeras most because they are the most disadvantaged groups.
Malays left out
Let’s start with the Malays, the most widely disadvantaged group. The main gripe is that they have been largely left out of mainstream development, despite advances within sections of the community, especially in urban areas.
The disunity factor is that since the riots of May 13, 1969, the blame has been put squarely on the shoulders of non-Malay advances. But that was 56 years ago; most prominent younger politicians had not even been born yet.
Surely then the blame for the relative non-advancement of the Malays should be put squarely on the shoulders of the government that was in power at the time, almost entirely Umno-BN, which allowed standards to slip in areas such as education, directly impacting Malays.
Until today, Umno politicians and ex-Umno politicians in Bersatu play this same monotonous tune that non-Malays are responsible for the poor lot of the Malays.
But they are finding out that Malays are tuning out and listening to new narratives from PAS, which offers not just hope but religion as well, a powerful combination.
Umno leaders have worked hand-in-hand with corrupt Malays as well as many non-Malays to amass massive riches, but betraying their own kind because corruption affects most the poorest - their failing of their own race. While Pakatan Harapan offered some hope, it is back to the Umno ways.
ADSBack to basics
The only way forward is to return to basics - kill corruption, improve educational standards, enable higher wages through both productivity increases and reducing imbalances, and tone down the rhetoric against non-Malays.
Using non-Malays as bait to hook racial feelings and use it for political ends has to be a strict no-no with a clear realisation that everybody is hitched to the same cart and moves or stops together. Better that everyone is behind the same wheels.
For the non-Malay non-bumiputeras, there are two main baggages - first is that despite being born here, a citizen and owing no allegiance to another country, they are often treated as second-class citizens and subject to the derogatory term of “pendatang”, although they know no other country.
While many of us - yes, I am one of them - believe in some form of affirmative action, we chafe against the blanket privileges given to all bumiputera and especially Malays. We are also constantly irritated, mainly by unscrupulous politicians who question our loyalty and make noise when we advance in public services.
I don’t see any reason why we can’t become top politicians or GLC CEOs if we are qualified, and even become prime ministers if we have public support - is that not what equality is about?
After all, people of colour have become the heads of government in the US and in the UK, and many of them have and continue to hold high positions. But for the politicians and toxic politics, that would have been in no doubt here - the Constitution permits it as it does affirmative action and protecting Malay rights, which now extend to all bumiputeras.
But non-Malays need to understand that not all Malays are beneficiaries of discriminatory policies in terms of contract awards and top positions - it’s only a small minority. Due to the failure of successive Malay governments, most Malays have not benefited in equal measure.
If these basic values are enshrined in public behaviour of politicians and the appropriate enforcement of laws against discrimination and any forms of extremism, they will be made more welcome by the government in their own country.
Corruption problems
Now for the non-Malay bumiputeras. Here, there is overlap with Malays, of whom there are many in Sabah and Sarawak, where the political history is different; there is more amity among races, but there is considerable corruption, perhaps more than in the peninsula.
Both territories have been part of Malaysia for years, but both the federal and state governments have been remiss in their duty to the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak for six decades, not doing enough to ensure that they have benefited from development.
While there may be a case for greater allocation of oil and gas resources to the states, there has to be a negotiated settlement for this, which is rational and based on what is possible instead of rhetoric.
Any such settlement must come with guarantees for reduced corruption. Otherwise, it would be so much oil and gas down the drain in terms of the people of Sabah and Sarawak. What did they gain from their timber and land wealth, for instance?
Instead of constantly playing politics and trying to paint a picture that all is well, what all Malaysians will appreciate is a plan for unity of all based on the Constitution and its safeguards and an action programme to bring development to all without fear, favour or corruption.
If some coalition can promise us that with concrete action programmes, I dare say they will have the support of most Malaysians. That would of course mean rejecting some politicians - you, as a Malaysian, know who we are talking about. - Mkini
P GUNASEGARAM says there’s strength in diversity when we unite. Let’s do it.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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