YOURSAY | ‘Allow everybody equal rights and freedom to practise their way of life.’
COMMENT | Why national unity crucial to our survival, progress
Cogito Ergo Sum: National unity is a myth. All previous administrations have ensured that we are divided and live in silos. This is to cover up their corrupt practices.
A united nation will call out corrupt politicians and corrupt practices. Our crony capitalist economy will collapse if there is national unity and equality.
Cronyism is part and parcel of the way we do business and national unity will kill off this silent policy.
Our divisive policies ensure that corruption and cronyism thrive in Malaysia. Corruption and cronyism are proportional to the level of poverty in Malaysia.
Which politician on the gravy train wants this to end?
Fair Play: This is the stark reality for all Malaysians, especially politicians. A highly successful nation urgently needs these two most important ingredients – people power and brain power.
People’s power (numerical superiority) is just not enough. The proof is this 60-year-plus track record as a sovereign nation. What have we achieved as a nation?
What have these politicians who have always been in control got to say to that?
Preaching the same mantra over and over again and expecting a different result?
Proarte: This article ignores the elephant in the room. If we want to achieve unity, then we have to accept that we need to be equal before the law.
Our Constitution accords “privileges” to Malays, and even after 60 years of Merdeka, these discriminatory clauses still apply and is the root cause of disunity, directly and indirectly.
The shameless political pronouncements of Malay and Muslim supremacy, the brain drain, kleptocracy, endemic corruption, environmental destruction, substandard educational levels, and the intellectual shallowness in public and political discourse sadly is a consequence of our discriminatory Constitution.
It stands to reason that no good can ever come from discrimination.
Our Constitution has been amended hundreds of times but the divisive and discriminatory clauses have not been removed. Indeed, they have been reinforced.
The horrendous suffering of non-Muslim families such as those of M Indira Gandhi and Loh Siew Hong is the result of a constitutional amendment removing the jurisdictional authority of the Federal Court over the Syariah Courts.
Our country cannot be united or progress as long as our Constitution institutionalises discrimination.
Man on the Silver Mountain: Unity? Cut off the propensity to dominate. Allow everybody equal rights and freedom to practise their way of life.
They must be free to determine their destiny individually without being restricted by some rigid, discriminatory laws.
Until we reach this state of maturity, which we probably never will, we are always trapped in the present status - each race for its selfish interest.
Let’s be honest. We are an apartheid disguised as a multiracial parliamentary democracy.
There is dishonesty in that and is the reason why politicians do not have any real motivation to build a prosperous Malaysia.
There is no true heart to build a Malaysia where everybody can honestly say it is home.
We have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, leaving Malaysia because they cannot, as they search for their hearts, call Malaysia home.
We couldn’t even allow ourselves to implement basic decency like Icerd (International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination).
How can we expect people to have a sense of security and a future in their lives?
Just a Malaysian: It’s too late for Malaysia. The leaders in this country grew filthy rich through their divide-and-win strategy.
Leaders of each race are equally guilty. After 60 years of such philosophy, the foundations of this nation have rotted and decayed.
To rebuild it is not easy, the structure and foundation have to be first brought down.
A total reboot can only happen when a major catastrophe like an economic meltdown strikes.
It needs the pain to wake up all our compatriots to get together and throw out this bunch of self-serving hypocrites. Nothing less.
Open mind: Why is it so difficult for extremists and bigots to comprehend the importance of national unity?
Is it because they refuse to understand or are they purposely ignoring the rationale for a truly united nation for all races and religions?
Or do they do it for personal gain and glory?
What is the possibility of bringing back the education system where all races and religions can mingle and interact freely without any fear or favour?
Anonymous_3f4b: Still talking about national unity after 66 years of independence.
Other countries have leapt into the new age with voyages to Mars and the outer Solar System, new undersea discoveries, tackling the ominous global threat of climate change and nuclear proliferation, artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, and the like while we have, again and again, articles and commentaries on national unity besides conforming to aspects of race and religion.
No wonder the country is bypassed and will remain in the global backwaters for some time.
BrownIguana6485: This has always been the dream of the nation. It was made elusive by the hopelessly myopic and selfish leaders who have divided and ravaged this country, playing the race and religion cards to be relevant.
Just when we think things are getting better and moving forward with the unity government, the very same band and brand of politicians are prepared to unsettle the country yet again into uncertainty and to reverse the progress we have made in these very short few months by playing yet again the “Malay unity” music.
This is starting to sound like the deathknell of this beloved country of ours.
We must banish these selfish politicians and exile them into the wilderness, and be done with them from the political landscape once and for all by voting them out.
They all have skeletons in their closets, so get them arrested and charged if there is sufficient evidence, especially of their untold riches.
If the Saudis could arrest the clerics for their deviationist and divisive activities towards the kingdom, we could do the same.
Let’s start now to reel them in.
RedMarlin1833: After more than 60 years of self-rule, the same story over and over.
The people of the country want peace and the “Muhibbah” spirit to remain and continue, but the idiotic politicians who have vested interests to remain in power and enrich themselves will ensure this is not achieved!
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