With perception on race relations in Malaysia on a decline, Utusan Malaysia’s editors sought to preach racial unity today, urging Malaysians to remember efforts by the country’s forefathers to ensure the nation’s peace and stability.
Instead of the usual political rhetoric found daily in its columns, the Umno-owned newspaper chose instead to praise the state of racial unity in Malaysia, claiming the country had become a role model for other nations.
Writing as Awang Selamat, a pseudonym used by the Umno-owned daily’s editors, the daily said Malaysians must protect the formula for peace and harmony created by the country’s freedom fighters.
Without elaborating, Awang said several incidents of late have led Malaysians to be reminded of how the country’s forefathers and nationalists had fought to maintain stability in a nation of diverse races and cultures.
“And since Merdeka, we were taught to respect one another’s religion, cultures and way of lives,” the paper said.
Awang said using with a formula founded on provisions in the Federal Constitution, Malaysia had already succeeded in her goals.
“Perhaps there are some among us who are not aware of how enjoyable it is living in a peaceful country because they have not experienced living in troubled and chaotic situations. (But) the road mapped by those before us should be defended for the good of all,” the paper said.
It cautioned Malaysians against acting for the benefit of only a small group of people, at the expense of demolishing the interests of the majority.
This, said Awang, would also end up destroying the country’s economy and development, and affect the lives of all Malaysians.
“As such, Awang is confident that the public can protect the foundation of Malaysia’s successes thus far — that is, racial unity.
“It was because of this unity that we have progressed today. So protect what we have by respecting all cultures, religions and the traditions of all races,” the editors said, signing off as “Awang — Anak Malaysia”.
Recent years have seen communal politics being stirred up after the landmark Election 2008 — the stiffest contest in Malaysian history.
With Barisan Nasional (BN) losing its customary two-thirds hold on Parliament and five state governments, several political leaders have retreated into racial silos to drum up support.
Calls for more meritocracy to be practised have been met by accusations of being anti-Malay. Tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities also come to the fore with the dispute over the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian god still not settled.
A recent raid by religious authorities on a church in Petaling Jaya accused of proselytising Muslims exacerbated the distrust that arose after Utusan Malaysia and Malay rights lobby Perkasa accused the church and the DAP of trying to turn Malaysia into a Christian state.
Independent pollster Merdeka Center for Opinion Research discovered recently in a survey from May 24 to June 8 that only 66 per cent of Malaysians believe ethnic relations in Malaysia is “good” — a 15 per cent decline from the 78 per cent who said so in February 2006.
It also found that just over a third of the 1,013 Malaysians polled believed that there was “sincere and friendly ethnic unity,” down from 54 per cent five years ago, and those that thought unity was superficial rose from 29 per cent to 44 per cent.
Respondents also said they trusted other races less, with trust towards Indians declining from 37 to 31 per cent, Chinese decreasing from 47 to 42 per cent and belief towards Malays dropping marginally from 66 to 65 per cent.
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what? this from the most unselamat editor in town? election must be very near. and this unselamat must have thought that the previous months of venom from his mouth has done enough damage to PR.
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