The prompt action by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak against his aide Nasir Safar for his alleged racist statements is highly commendable. It should be lesson for all to be more sensitive to the feelings of the people of different race and religion.

This issue of respecting the racial sensitiveness of others goes far beyond a single individual or a single incident. Such incidences have cropped over and over again and we wonder why people like Nasir with many years of experience would ever want to tread on such racists tendencies.

What has he to gain from making such racists remarks which are clearly against the spirit of the ‘1Malaysia’ policy formulated by his own boss? Nasir is just the tip of the iceberg. His outburst was a sign of the deep-rooted racial distrust and prejudice that exists in our society.

It is the outcome of a brand of communalism carefully crafted over the last two decades that has pitted the Malays against the non-Malays for political, social and economic dominance. This communal policy had erroneously portrayed the non-Malays as threats to the sovereignty and success of the Malays.

Unfortunately, such an attitude continues to prevail today although the number subscribing to this is on the decline. It would be a momentous task that needs an exceptionally strong leader, one we have yet to see, to undo this communal prejudice that has taken deep roots in our society.

It is extremely disheartening that despite 52 years of staying together as fellow citizens, there are still those who have yet to learn to respect the sensitivities attached to racial and religious issues. It is disheartening that there are still those who do not accept fellow Malaysians of different ethnicity as rightful citizens but see then as enemies rather than comrades.

Although the numbers may be small but nevertheless they must be checked as their actions can lead to serious repercussions in a multi-racial and multi-religious nation. The majority should not be allowed to be misled by such irresponsible actions of a few.

The migration of people has been a common practice throughout the history of man and will continue to be so in the future. There could be many reasons for this migration but what brought our forefathers to this country is irrelevant today. What is important is that the present generation of Malaysians are born and bred here, regardless of race, and all stay whether we like it or not.

For the non-Malays this is the only country they know as the vast majority of them have never set foot on a foreign land but have made this their homeland for good or bad. It is therefore only right for us to learn to accept and respect one another’s differences and to coexist in peace and harmony despite all those differences.

After over five decades of living together, the vast majority of the ordinary people have more things in common than differences. They may be Malays, Chinese or Indians but they have learnt to accept and respect the differences between them. In fact, even without being aware of it, they have adopted and incorporated each other’s cultures into their own without any grudge whatsoever. It is just a matter of time that the people will soon assimilate to become a single Malaysian race if only they are left alone by the aspiring politicians.

Nasir may have resigned and publicly apologised for his racists remarks but there is much more to be done than just punishing Nasir. Umno-BN must review its policies towards race and religion.

There appears to be certain groups that seem to thrive on racist provocation which the government must act against regardless of their political affiliations. The government must be truthful in wanting to find a lasting solution to inter-ethnic hate that is being propagated by these irresponsible groups.

Umno and BN must realise there is no place for racist tendencies if we want to realise the aspirations of the ‘1Malaysia’ policy. It has to accept the fact that all citizens have a rightful place under the Malaysian sun. Only if we are truthful and sincere in wanting to eradicate such racist tendencies, will we find the political will to fight racism and all the evils that come with it.

As long as our racial politics continue there is no way we can rise up to be counted among the world’s leading democracies.