WHEN did we get here, that fellow Malaysians are threatened for their thinking?

Minister Gobind Deo revealed yesterday that there were serious threats made in cyberspace against Chinese education group Dong Jiao Zong and police have been alerted.

Police obtained a court order last week to prevent the group from holding a discussion about Putrajaya’s move to introduce Jawi lessons in vernacular schools – citing security precautions as that issue has now become racial.

To put it in context, court orders have been obtained before on similar grounds for the Bersih rallies under the previous Barisan Nasional government.

Here’s the thing. This project called Malaysia is only worth defending and fighting for if most of its important institutions are colour-blind and driven by natural fairness and justice.

Otherwise, anger, desolation and a sense of grievance will tear apart the country and its communities.

The freedoms expanded under Pakatan Harapan need to be nourished. People must be able to think, gather and discuss issues relevant to them without any threat of bodily harm.

Instead, some discussions are shut down, some rallies are barred and others allowed and the authorities have facilitated making issues appear racial – further eroding trust in politicians and institutions.

The question we need to ask is when did Malaysians become so intolerant of others? When did Jawi or education issues come to be seen through racial lenses? And, aren’t there more pressing issues in education rather than language, alphabet and script?

While we are embroiled in this, the rest of the world marches on with science and technology, coding for schoolchildren and innovation that takes them up and away into the 21st century. 

Instead, Malaysians are stuck in an argument about language and the fear that it will lead to proselytisation or being seen as sidelined from being the main language in the country. 

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and friends should be worried about what is happening in Malaysia. Bangsa Malaysia isn’t happening as we enter 2020. 

What is happening is even more sinister. We are in silos – racial, religious and class – all very much the antithesis of the slogan in the country’s coat of arms, Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu or Unity is Strength.

In reality, we are losing Malaysia in 2020. – December 31, 2019.