DURING my usual walks around Kledang Hill, Ipoh Padang and Taman Dr Seenivasagam in Ipoh, I take time to observe the behaviour of people who come to these places for recreation and exercise.
It delights me to observe the multi-ethnic communities congregating at these places and I am grateful that Malaysia enjoys such peace and stability that people of different ethnicities are able to jog and walk about without any sense of fear or insecurity.
This situation is unique in Malaysia in comparison to other developing countries and one has to thank the Malaysian founding fathers who have created a foundation of accommodation within the governing system that makes multi-ethnic interactions possible – to a certain extent.
Having said that, and being a writer who tends to see things at a deeper level, I have also noticed a very troubling paradox beneath the so-called ethnic and religious harmony in our society.
While there are groups of all ethnicities taking part in exercise and recreation, what is very noticeable is that some Malaysians, especially from the working class and the lower middle-class, are only with their own kind whether they are playing football or walking in the park with their families. While inter-ethnic collaboration in sports is practised during tournaments or friendly competitions, it is obvious that most of the time Malaysians feel comfortable in their own ethnic groups when it comes to social interaction, recreation and leisure.
This has also been obvious in the universities over the years where each ethnic group will stick to itself and does not have much interaction with other ethnic groups. This can be observed during sports and graduation ceremonies.
The question that Malaysians should ask themselves, is this the type of unity that is desired, where grassroots ethnic communities, while tolerant and accepting of one another other, are being so within the boundaries of race and religion? Is this sustainable in terms of ensuring collective progress of the nation? These issues are not new, but requires a fresh perspective from the younger generation.
The concept of unity in Malaysia is based on superficial tolerance and acceptance, which lack of inter-ethnic solidarity is evident when one observes the social engagement and interaction in places of recreation.
The political elites who want to remain in power at all cost has basically succeeded in creating boundaries of ethnic interactions by playing up ethno- religious issues that separate the communities and which causes each community to focus on its identity rather than social justice.
This makes the common struggle for progressive politics of justice and equity within the grassroots communities a distant dream. This could be the reason there is vehement opposition to local government elections from the political and religious elites fearing the resurgence of grassroots multi-ethnic movement. The elites fear losing control should the various ethnic communities interact and work together for the common good.
If one takes a look at the protest movement in United States after the death of George Floyd, one will see that it is made up of multi-ethnic Americans who feel strongly about systemic injustice in their society. It is a cause that has global appeal. The bringing down of statues of colonisers with a racial past is significant.
In Malaysia we are yet to see such anger among multi-ethnic Malaysians over the many custodial deaths over the decades of people from the Indian community.
Therefore, it is time political leaders who desire a new Malaysia start creating a context for social interaction that encourages multi-ethnic collaboration. There is a need for structural reforms such as by empowering community leaders to resolve issues within their areas. We need to see more multi-ethnic activities in recreation parks besides engagement in local government issues.
The local government should play a key role in building unity and interaction with all ethnic communities. Common local issues like housing, price of goods, cleanliness and transport could be discussed without being overly conscious of one’s ethnic identity. It is from here that our politics could evolve beyond race and religion. It’s time for Malaysians to reject homogenous ethno -religious political parties who are responsible for promoting unity that comes with racial boundaries. – July 20, 2020.
* Ronald Benjamin is Association for Community and Dialogue secretary.
* 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.
Comments
Posted 3 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply
Posted 3 years ago by James Wong · Reply
Its a damning indictment on the performance of BN (especially UMNO) politicians, including Mahathir.
Posted 3 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply
Posted 3 years ago by James Wong · Reply
I beg to differ. There is another reason.
IMO, just as GLCs posts are rewards for (do nothing) political appointees, local governments posts are rewards for the "macais" of the state government, irrespective of how incompetent and corrupted they are.
Thats why the kampumgs, towns and cities are in such sorry states. The councillors are only interested in their own "side and extra incomes".
Having local elections is akin to eliminating corruption and cronyism and corrupted politicians would NOT like it at all!
Please remember Mahathir gave such ridiculous and absurd reasons for the status quo and even spewed racist remarks to garner support from the naive and ignorant. He cannot fool the educated and thoughtful.
Posted 3 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply