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WhenMalaysianscameupandspokeon
needforracialintegration
Source:TheMalaysianInsider
Date:22February2014

WhenMalaysianscameupand
spokeonneedforracial
integration
B Y EL IZ A B ET H Z A CH A R IA H
F EBR U ARY22 ,20 14

ThedialogueorganisedbytheNUCCattheDewanBahasadanPustakatodaywaswellreceivedwithalotoffeedbackcoming
fromordinaryMalaysians.TheMalaysianInsiderpicbyAfifAbdHalim,February22,2014.

TheNationalUnityConsultativeCouncil's(NUCC)firsteverdialoguetitled"Voiceofthe
Grassroots",whichkickedofftoday,reverberatedwithcallstoputastoptoracebasedpolitics
andtheimportanceofeducationinnationalintegration.
Morethan150people,includingmembersofNGOs,communityleadersandordinary
Malaysians,gatheredatDewanBahasadanPustakatoairtheirviewsonnationalunityaswell
asoffersuggestionstothecouncilonwhatcanbedonetorestoreunity.
Thefeedbackfromthepublicwillthenbecollectedandfactoredintothemakingofthe
NationalUnityBlueprint,whichthecouncilhasbeentaskedtodo.
NgYeenSeen,whoisseniorvicepresidentofAsianStrategy&LeadershipInstitute(ASLI)
wasoneofthefirsttovoicetheneedtomoveawayfromracebasedpolitics.ModeratorTanSri
LeeLamThye,whoisalsoNUCCdeputychairman,notedthatmorethan30peoplegavetheir
opinionsandviewstoday.
"Weareadividednation.Particularlysoafter308and505,"shesaid,referringtotheMarch8,
2008andMay5,2013datesofthelasttwogeneralelection.
"Thereisaneedtoimmediatelyendracialpoliticsandbeginanewpoliticalcomposition."
This,shesaid,wassothatMalaysianscanreachacommongroundto"moveahead
together".
EchoinghersentimentswasJeraldJoseph,anNGOactivist,whoacknowledgedthat
Malaysiahadprobablyneededracebasedpoliticswhenitfirstachieveditsindependence

morethan50yearsago.
"Butthingshavechangednow.Wehavematuredandwehavereachedadulthood.More
peoplearebeginningtochooseleadersaccordingtotheirstrengthsandnotaccordingto
race,"headded.
"Thetimehascomeforustoleaveracebasedpoliticsbehind."
Alargenumberofthepublicalsoagreedthattherewasaneedtolookintotheeducation
systeminschoolswhichtheysaid,isinstrumentalinbuildinganintegratedcommunity.
"Duringthe1960suptillthe1980s,everythingwasinEnglish.EveryonespokeEnglishand
everyoneunderstoodit,"saidSaifullah,astudent.
"Butnowwehaveschoolswithdifferentmediumsandbecauseofthat,childrenlearnfroma
veryyoungage,thedifferentlanguagesaccordingtotheirowncommunity.So,theinteraction
betweentheChinese,IndianandMalaysstudentsfromyoungisnotthere."
Anunidentifiedman,whoalsowentuptospeak,relatedhisownexperienceinschool,saying
thathebeganmakingfriendsofdifferentracesinprimaryschool.
"Theimportantthingistostartintegrationfromprimaryschool.Fromthere,childrenwilllearn
tomakefriendswithoutlookingatracebecausetheyhavenotbeenexposedtothatyet.
"Thiswillcontinuethroughthelateryearsintheirlivesastheywillnotfeelweirdorawkwardin
mixingwithotherracesbecauseofhowtheywerewhentheywereyounger,"headded.
TherewerealsothosewhocalledfortheInternalSecurityAct(ISA)tobebroughtbacksothat
peoplewillbemorecarefulinwhattheytalkabout.
"Becauseitwasrepealed,therearecertainpeoplewhohavebecomeemboldenedtospeak
aboutMalayrights,royaltyandotherreligiousmatters,"saidoneman.
Meanwhile,NUCCchairmanTanSriSamsuddinOsmansaiditisimportantforthecouncilto
listentothegrassrootsandhewasexcitedthatalotofpeoplecameuptospeak.
"Theintentionistohearfromthegrassroots.Unorchestrated,unstructuredandwhateverthat
comestotheirmind.Thisiswhatwewanted.
"IonlyhopetherewillbemoreordinaryMalaysianscominguptospeakinthenextdialogue
sessions,"headded.
TodayssessionwillbefollowedbydialoguesinSerembanandMalacca.OnMarch1,
dialogueswillbeheldinJohor,KelantanandTerengganu,whileMarch8and9willseethe
roadshowmovingtoSabahandPahang.
DialogueswillalsobeheldinLabuan,KedahandPenang(March15),PerlisandPerak(March
16),SibuandMiri(March23and24).
ThelastsessionwillbeheldagaininKualaLumpuronMarch30.February22,2014.

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