Young Malaysians, you are all we have left


A NOTE for the new year, dear youth.

The children of the ensuing time to come, take their place as the shimmering mise en scene at the centre stage of democracy.

The ideal Malaysian future, when seen through a hopeful lens, is for all of us, irrespective of race and religion, to be ensconced with the right to see each other as truly equal.

Already in Malaysia’s politics, the tactics of politicians have been exposed; resorting to rhetoric that deliberately touches on race and religion as a form of strategic character assassinations to discredit the political credibility of the other.

When are the Malaysian youth going to see an end to the bastardisation of the country’s political landscape?

It is my hope that the youth will see through such meaningless tactics to usher in genuine and transformational change.

For the youth are the nation’s most venerated commodity, as it is their unquestionable enthusiasm for change that will give birth to a future analogous to that of a calm lake, where souls can swim en masse peacefully without igniting the flames of resentment and racial tensions.

It is only when they remain implacably opposed to the provocation of racial sensitivities that Malaysia will undoubtedly transition into a time where we, as a people, are able to bring change to a country with an atmosphere of unpredictability.

I pray for a future where Malaysians are uncompromisingly tolerant of each other’s differences – an end to the corruption of the fragile minds of our youth.

Democracy is to be celebrated in its capacity for celebrating meritocracy and not institutional condescending of the races.

It must be held in the hearts of all Malaysians that the strenuous metamorphosis of a nation’s tolerance towards racial harmony lies first in the passion of the youth to voice out their anathema of racialist culture.

Their mellifluous voices are the quintessential aria in the crowded theatre of mega diversity we call Malaysia, they are not to be fallen on deaf ears. For they can move the mountains of a nation.

However, the question still stands, what is their solemn duty to protect the sanctity of peace between the races?

It is within the lengths they are willing to go to, to stand in solidarity against any ideology that appeals to the baser, tribalistic and primitive instincts of human nature – the sort that cause people to become fanatically rabid in their prejudice of people who are classified as the “other”.

Silencing the underlings of this country dilutes the currency of racial harmony, the youth must be afforded opportunities to have a voice in the political arena.

It is up to the youth to thoroughly dispose of the pernicious use of the race card.

The education of our youth in the hope of priming them to be more resistant to racial brainwashing is the panacea to the pernicious serpent that is mass moral corruption before it may draw out its poisonous fangs, blaspheming what the Malaysian people hold so religiously with its merciless wrath – racial harmony.

Attempts to rob the country of what was once so stridently fought for by our forefathers threaten to disassemble the very foundations of the nation.

The burden that lay mounted on the shoulder of the younger generation is to be carried stridently as they hike the arduous journey towards peace.

The burden lying in nudging one another branches to spread awareness of the social stratosphere, to highlight potential issues that desecrate Malaysia’s assent into progressive democracy.

The youth will remind Malaysians to cherish the beautiful aurora of Malaysia’s racial skyline when it is obfuscated by dark clouds.

The onus is also on the Malaysian leadership to encourage the voices of youth to oppose racial politicking, incentivising them to participate in the struggle against those irresponsible groups that bring about racial mayhem.

Perhaps it is through the younger generation that we finally see the race card be put to rest.

The voyage to shield racial harmony from disintegration will not be an easy task but the future of Malaysia’s social cohesion depends on precisely that. Dear young people, you’re all we have left. – December 24, 2022.

* Pravin Periasamy reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.



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