Forging unity is our duty and obligation

I refer to your report “Unity must prevail for continued peace and a safe Malaysia” (NST,July 12).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice to the newly appointed members of the National Unity Advisory Panel should be taken seriously by Malaysians of all ethnicity especially political and government leaders at all levels.

The PM rightly stressed that the only way to perpetuate unity was for Malaysians of all races and religions to be involved in every aspect of Malaysian life. They must be together in politics, in government, in school. That’s the way it was (when Malaysia was formed) and that’s the way it should be.

Yes, unity is the key to our success as a nation. It is sad that after fifty years we are still engaged in vigorous debate about national unity. There is a general perception that this all important unity is slipping our grip by the day and that is creating a lot of anxiety and fear among us all.

As the PM said the only way to forge and maintain this unity is for all races to be together in all facets of Malaysian life. But the opportunities of being together are slowly but surely decreasing and the various communities are increasingly segregated so much so that now we are happy to just work within and for our own community.

I am afraid our children today are losing the ability to interact effectively and freely among the various races due to suspicion for each other.They are fast losing the skills and ability of inter-racial communication which was came so naturally to our forefathers. They, despite having lived in the same country for years, appear to be separated by barriers that are becoming increasingly more insurmountable – language, religion and culture. Within just fifty years, cultures of fellow Malaysians have become alien to others of different faiths and ethnicity.

Unity in a country with diverse cultures like ours can only be achieved if everyone is treated equally. Only this would rid us of the suspicion and hate for one another. Every citizen should be free to enjoy the fruits of freedom obtained from our independence as enshrined in the Federal Constitution. The poor and deserving from all communities should be granted the benefits due to them without favour.

There must be equal representation of the various communities in all sectors, government, schools, armed forces and business enterprises. Those with capabilities and talents must be given the opportunities purely based on merit. Those with a burning desire to serve the nation must be given the opportunity to do so without any impediment.

There is a dire need to increase the participation of minority groups in the various arms of the civil service. A racially balanced mixture of the all the communities in the various services would go a long way to erase the suspicion and ill-feeling for each other and thereby promote mutual interaction and unity among the various races in the country.
How can inter-communal unity be achieved when all sectors are dominated by a particular group?

Let’s heed our PM’s call to actively promote racial unity in our country. It is not just our duty but a sacred obligation as well. Our nation has enough for all so let us not deprive any particular community of its rights to the stake in the fortunes of the nation. Unity must prevail at all costs for continued and lasting peace and a safe and prosperous Malaysia.

Malaysia is known as a country that could manage race relations well. We must not allow this reputation to be shattered by those with myopic and skewed ideas and who are bent on dividing the country on ethnic lines for their own selfish needs. This would only bring disaster to all in the final outcome.

Let’s pray for capable and far-sighted leaders who champion the interests not just of their own race but that of all Malaysians.

Dr.Chris Anthony