INPUT from some 20 series of dialogues revealed young Malaysians prefer to be known as “Bangsa Malaysia” in the next 30 years, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday.

Of course, and not just young Malaysians. Most, if not all, Malaysians want to be known as Malaysians or Bangsa Malaysia rather than by their racial or ethnic origins.

Khairy also said the dialogues showed the young Malaysians want the wall that separate the races in Malaysia to be demolished.

They want to see an identity that is more united where Bangsa Malaysia is more prominent than of race or ethnicity, the youth leader said at the Transformasi Nasional 50 Dialogue in Kuala Lumpur.

To be fair, this is not a new idea. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had outlined Bangsa Malaysia as one of the nine goals in his Vision 2020 Way Forward speech in 1991. And everyone was for it.

But over the years and for purposes of domestic politics, Malaysians are identified more by what they are not rather than what they are. How many times have we seen and read politicians defining us as being non this or that.

This past week, the PAS government in Kelantan reinforced the idea that some of us are known by what we are not. Non-Muslim shopkeepers have to shut their business for 10 minutes during Muslim prayer times, according to a Kelantan government directive.

In the past few months, Malaysians who are not Muslims have been told to butt out of any debate about amendments to enhance the Syariah courts powers and punishments.

Non-Muslims, they are called. And some politicians refer to non-Malays as being hindrances to political domination by Malays. In effect, these politicians from both sides of the divide are pitting Malaysians against Malaysians.

There is no question that what young Malaysians want is the same as what all Malaysians want. A Bangsa Malaysia today, or by 2020, not wait for another 30 years and make it political capital or just a dream.

Khairy is one of Malaysia’s current and future leaders. He has to convince and lead his party and his coalition to realise the dreams of all Malaysians to be Bangsa Malaysia now rather than wait another generation to realise.

Former leaders such as founding prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman had the vision where Malaya became free 60 years ago and our forefathers became Malayans. He followed up with Malaysia and Malaysians.

But that vision has been tattered over the years until Dr Mahathir brought it up again. And now young Malaysians have expressed their desire for this to be a reality.

We say it has to be done now. We must be Bangsa Malaysia now, not in the future. Sixty years of Merdeka is two generations of Malaysians who can and should proudly call themselves Malaysians.

And not see each other as rival races or told to go back home. Home is Malaysia and we are all Malaysians. – April 18, 2017.