Malaysia turns 51 at the end of this month of August in one of the quietest Merdeka or National day celebrations I’ve seen so far. Just 5 days before Merdeka Day is the Permatang Pauh by-election which promises to be something of a thriller.
That is not the irony however.
On this evening’s news, it was reported that tourists enjoy coming to Malaysia because of the multi-racial multi-cultural country that is Malaysia. Everyone lives in harmony. Just imagine the scene in a Merdeka Day advertisement that is unfortunately only the stuff of tv,
If that is what the tourists find attractive about our country, why aren’t we proud of it? Why is racism rearing its ugly head everyday? Why are we not tolerant towards other races and religions anymore? Why is there continued favoritism and/or protests towards selected races for admissions into universities and higher institutes of learning?
Honestly, I’m puzzled. In our parents’ generation, all races were relatively friendly towards each other. In my generation, we still had friends from all races although it wasn’t as prevalent.
In this generation, we all seem to be living in our own compartmentalized worlds; not interacting, not tolerating.
51 years isn’t all that long and it did not take long for the multi-cultural, multi-racial country that is Malaysia to break down.
Sad isn’t it?
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I agree totally. We are all living in an illusion of harmony and multi-cultural unity, when in reality racism lurks stealthily below the surface. Not much has changed since last year and I don’t know when we will perceive Malaysian s as Malaysians and not M, C, I and “Lain-lain”.
@giddy tigress:You know, its not all that far below the surface and everyday, I feel its rearing its ugly head more and more – sad.
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