Six Steps Towards Pm S Vision Of A True Malaysian Family

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From Santhana Dass Savarinathan
As the old idiom goes, things are easier said than done. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s speech about the country being one big family, Malaysian Family, is touching – but will every one of the leaders and elders of our so-called family actually practise what he has preached?
The important values that bind a family are unity, equality, impartiality and morality which encompass discipline, fear of God, humility, charity and, in general, taking care of the welfare of each and everyone in the family.
Every Malaysian citizen is a member of the Malaysian Family by right, irrespective of race, colour, religion or financial means. This, the prime minister must explicitly reiterate to the nation.
There cannot be any “pendatang” in a family.
What will the PM do to bring the Malaysian Family into reality?
He has inherited a disunited, demotivated, disillusioned and misguided family, suffering from discrimination, deep-seated racism, corruption, religious bigotry, nepotism and cronyism and “institutionalised favouritism”.
This ‘”institutionalised favouritism” has given the favoured members a sense of superiority and dependency to the extent of becoming completely reliant on the “father’s” support and benevolence, without taking pride or initiative to be independent.
The principles of Rukun Negara are gathering dust in some closet because the leaders of the family have set aside these principles to meet their own aspirations and ambitions.
A family in which the leaders put their well-being at the expense of the rest is most likely to end in disarray, which is what is happening to the country right now.
Is the PM prepared to do the following, as a father would do for his children?
Acknowledge that every Malaysian citizen is an equal member of the Malaysian Family, while acknowledging that some members (irrespective of race or religion) may be in a disadvantaged position and need more help to uplift them.Unite all citizens. Stop polarisation in schools, in sports, in economic activities and in other facets of life. Abolish the columns for race and religion in all forms used both in the government and private sectors and treat everyone as Malaysian, as opposed to being a member of any ethnic group.I’m sure the PM doesn’t label his children differently in the way they look or dress.
Malaysians stood together in the struggle against the communists and in the struggle for independence. We are ready to unite again for the betterment of the family.
Eradicate all forms of discrimination in government jobs, scholarships, contracts, educational opportunities, and the like. Reward the best in the family, strictly on merit.Stop the brain drain and show the way for the Malaysian Family to administer and grow the economy together rather than in a polorised manner now. Let the government services and other institutions and corporations be reflective of the various communities which comprise the Malaysian Family.
Let every member of this family help to develop, administer and defend the country together so that the nation’s success will be the pride and joy of each citizen.
Lead by example and, as a father would, punish any member of the family who breaks the law.Eradicate corruption, stop selective prosecution or selective withdrawal of charges, eradicate political influence in independent governmental agencies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Punish everyone, irrespective of race, political association or connections.
Bring about unity and tolerance through policies rather than speeches. Take us back to the times when race, religion and culture did not matter in day-to-day relationships when people lived their lives in harmony and participated in all the activities and festivities as Malaysians.Introduce the patriotic songs and teach the true history of the country so that the young members can appreciate the efforts of their forefathers. The Malaysian spirit is in each and every Malaysian, as can be seen in sports and in the recent struggles faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Build on it and not destroy it — unite not separate us.
Teach tolerance and understanding of each other’s religion and culture and not instil fear and hatred in their way of life. Though we are all different, we belong to the same family, Malaysia, and that is our strength not weakness.The prime minister chose the brand Malaysian Family as the theme of his administration. He has chosen, figuratively, to be the father of the nation. His mission is to be a fair and just father. He must take care of the citizens as he would his own children.
I am sure that he is a good father to his children, and has instilled all the good values in them and treated them with kindness, fairness, equality, discipline and imbued in them a sense of commitment, initiative, independence, competitiveness, honesty and religious beliefs, without spoiling them.
Please do the same for the extended family of Keluarga Malaysia, Don’t divide and rule us. - FMT
Santhana Dass Savarinathan is an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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