Obama : A moral victory for minorities

A dream for our own Obama

November 4, 2008 was a historic day for the United States of America (USA).It was a day that brought hope to millions around the world especially in third world countries. An illustrious son of a once enslaved race was elected as the President of the most powerful nation on earth. It was a proud moment not just for the person elected and for the community he comes from but above all for the nation itself which has been a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world. Indeed the election of Barrack Hussein Obama is a sign his country is really a land of democracy, freedom and equal opportunities for all.

Nearly 150 years ago Abraham Lincoln passed a law to abolish slavery saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure; permanently half slave and half free”. He went against all odds to do something right and courageous to protect the honor and dignity of mankind, an act that could have cost him his life, but by doing so he became one of the greatest presidents of the USA. His bold actions at that time initiated the changes that led his country to achieve the enviable state it is in today.

A 100 years later Martin Luther King Jr.proclaimed “I have a dream that one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Today the bold and courageous action of Lincoln to abolish slavery had produced the desired result. The dream of Luther have become a reality, a descendant of slaves has been overwhelmingly chosen to become the leader of the country.

Obama’s election is not just a personal victory for him,his family and his community but a victory for his nation as well which is regarded as a beacon of democracy for the entire world. It is also a moral victory for the minorities in the US and all countries across the globe especially for those who are marginalized and deprived of their legitimate rights in their respective states.

The election of Obama as the first black American to the White House is a much needed moral booster for the US, whose integrity and reputation as the leader of the free world has suffered over the last decade or so. With Obama’s win the US may have a greater moral authority to push for freedom and human rights to oppressive governments all over the world.
Obama comes from an African-American community which constitutes about just 13% of the population. It has the highest rates of ill health, unemployment and crime. Despite coming from such an impoverished minority group he succeeded in being elected to the highest office in the land. It goes to show that Americans in general have put behind racism to vote for change and that is a very encouraging sign, especially at a time when the world is torn apart by war and violence resukting from racial and religious differences. In fact surveys show about 80% of all American voters said ethnicity was not a factor in their choice of their president.

What does Obama’s victory mean to us and many around the world? We hope what happened in the US will be an example for all countries with diverse ethnic population especially those that profess to practice democracy. It is a lesson for them on how they should treat the minorities in their own country. The US remains a superpower because of its open policy where all citizens regardless of race, color and creed are given equal opportunities to contribute to the development of the nation. All its citizens are equal in the eyes of the law and racial discrimination of any sorts is a serious offence that is not compromised for whatever reasons.
We too can become a leading nation like the US if we are willing to adopt the right approach and ideals and tap the potentials of all the races, a policy based on multiracialism. All ethnic groups must be considered equal and this must be stipulated in the laws of the country and the people educated to adopt such a mindset. All race-based political parties must be disbanded and reformed into true multiracial ones. Appointments to top posts in government and government linked companies must be based on purely merit, not ethnicity.

We lost the opportunity to do so by rejecting the visionary views of our Lincoln,Dato Onn Jaffar 60 years ago. If only we had accepted his ideas to make Umno a party for all races at that time, today we may among the ranks of the top powers in the world. However it is never too late as we are now given a second chance when the people have demanded such a multiracial approach in their verdict on March 8.Unfortunately there are still many quarters who blatantly disregard the people’s call and are bent on maintaining the obsolete race-based policies forever, not realizing their actions will only bring disaster in the near future.

It is time for all Malaysians to share a common dream, a dream that one day Malaysia becomes a developed nation by the whole-hearted contribution of all its citizens regardless of ethnicity, a day when all communities are accepted as equal and every citizen feels equally proud to be called Malaysians.

We are on the brink of leadership change at the highest level. The people like their counterparts in the US have transcended race and religion and overwhelmingly voted for change. Can our leaders like, the people, rise above the ethnic divide to bring about that change to adopt multiracialism as the preferred system of governance? Do they have the wisdom to place the nation above race for the long-term well being on the country? The recent squabble over the PKNS appointment sadly indicates otherwise.

Obama says he in the president of all Americans including those who did not vote for him. Likewise we hope our incoming Prime Minister can pledge to be the leader for all Malaysians; Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans and others. Can he acquire the courage and the will to initiate the cascade reactions that will lead to the dawn of a new Malaysia where all races can work together hand in hand without fear or suspicion to realize our Malaysian dream? We may call our country a democracy but it only be a true democratic nation when we produce our own Malaysian Barrack Obama.

Dr.Chris Anthony