I am happy to be here in Kluang for the launching of my good friend of over half a century K. Siladass’ writings in Tamil in “Sinthanai Sei Maname” (Think).
I do not pretend to understand Tamil but I know what he meant – Think!
Today’s event reminded me of the public debate I had with an academician, Naquib Al-Alatas 55 years ago in 1968 on the meaning of Malaysian literature and Malaysian culture.
Siladass’ advice is something which all Malaysians should ponder – to think about their role not only in Malaysia but in the world.
Do Malaysians have anything to contribute to the world or are we condemned to end up as a divided, failed and kleptocratic state?
I looked up my speech in 1968 in the public debate and found that I said the following:
“For the first ten years after independence, Ceylon was mentioned as the country which had solved its communal problem. Then it blew up in racial flames.
“Until two years ago, Nigeria in Africa was described as the shining example of multi-ethnic democracy, often compared to the Malaysian experiment in Asia. But today, it lies in shambles and has become the theatre of tribal massacres, carnage, genocide and gross inhumanity.”
Malaysia has been nation-building for some six decades.
Have we avoided the tragedy of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and Nigeria?
We have spawned the Malaysian Diaspora in the seventies, where more than a million of the best and talented Malaysians of all races and religions stayed abroad to help other nations great, instead of making Malaysia great.
There is no doubt that Malaysia today has never been polarised in race and religion than in the history of Malaysia.
One reason Malaysia is so polarised today is because of the divisive and toxic politics of the information era, where information, including lies, falsehoods and fake news, could travel at the speed of light.
There are irresponsible leaders who want Malaysians to believe that their race and religion is under threat by other races and religions, when this is not the case.
Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, do not want a War of Races or War or Religions in Malaysia.
On the contrary, Malaysia’s plural society as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation gave Malaysia the opportunity to teach a lesson to the global society.
Malaysia is at the confluence of four great civilisations – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western. If we can leverage on the best values and virtues of these four great civilisations, we can in the words of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, be “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.
Malaysia should be example of inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, tolerance and peace to the international society, for the world is getting smaller and smaller with the increasing speed of communications and all nations, races and religions must learn the art of co-existence, understanding, tolerance and peace if they are not to kill each other off in a War of Races or War of Religions.
This is where plural Malaysia can contribute to the world.