“TUN, I am (introduced myself). Today I carry an enemy’s bullet in my left leg as a result of a firefight with our nation’s enemies on 1 June 1979. That incident, among others, led to the beginning of the downfall of the Communist Party of Malaya. We fought hard as a team, treated each other in the unit as brothers. We were willing to risk our lives and risked stepping on booby traps, because we respected our commanders.

“If Pakatan Harapan is to form the next government, never ever again commit the same mistake as Barisan Nasional – racial and religious polarisation, divide and rule, and inter-ethnic disunity and hatred. Please help to unite the people, and all Malaysians must be made to feel important. We will support you as our next prime minister”.

Those were my words which later turned prophetic, directed at Dr Mahathir Mohamad on January 15, 2017 at the Perdana Foundation. The room was filled with some 80 veterans of the military officers corps there for a dialogue session and mobilisation of support.

Dr Mahathir on June 26 during an interview with Channel NewsAsia, stated that affirmative action policy was still needed to bridge the gap and avoid conflict between the Bumiputera and other races. Dr Mahathir had meant to continue with the policy in part, with certain aspects like the need for scholarships to study in foreign universities, and that it was not exclusive for the Malays. Although implied, it would have been more widely accepted if Dr Mahathir had specified that affirmative action policy would be more on need-based, rather than race-based.

Few would argue that the majority of the less fortunate are among the Malays and that this is the group that needs help most. Criticisms of the affirmative action policy had been largely on its implementation, the abuses where the elites among the Malays and the politically connected enriched themselves while leaving the Malay masses poor and helpless.

The affirmative action policy had good intentions but was flawed due to its implementation, which was never publicly acknowledged even by those who were with Umno and now with PH. Critics of the bad implementation of the policy, mostly from the opposition party, were labelled anti-Malays. The 1980s onwards saw the making of Malay millionaires and senior executives, indiscriminate awarding of projects and grants for businesses, assisted takeovers of privatised national corporations, and “forced” takeovers of private corporations owned by others.

This also led to one scandal after another, from BMF to the current 1MDB with several in between.

Providing scholarships to deserving Malays and others to obtain overseas education is to be lauded, but certainly not for a quick pass to a senior corporate management position, civil service, universities, and even in the security forces. Holding such positions has to be merit-based. Acceding to such senior positions on a silver platter without learning the difficulties and what it takes to climb the ladder will make one devoid of character and positive values necessary of a good leader.

Countless examples can be seen in current corporate and political leadership.

Stereotyping the Chinese as business people and rich is misleading. Far from being the truth, for those who made it in business and became rich, they started small, usually from a family business. Building from small to big, many failed and became heavily indebted too. Parents send their children for oversea education because they have limited choices and for want of a better education, not because they are rich. It is also because their family size is small, allowing them to spend all their savings on the one or two children.

If this so-called New Malaysia is to be reset on a course for unity, harmony and progress, even with the retention of the affirmative action policy in part; it has to start with genuine integration. There is a need to mingle and learn from each other, to build new values. The civil service, universities, security forces, public and private sectors need to see policy change towards inclusivity and integration; for a nation’s progress is the aggregate of all diverse groups’ collective intelligence working in homogeneity for a common cause.

I fully trust our prime minister to lead us on this new journey of united and progressive Malaysia. When those prophetic words were spoken with profound emotion a year and half ago, I could sense in Tun’s eyes that he reciprocated with equally profound sincerity and genuineness.

* Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng is a researcher interested in economics, politics, and health. He has a burning desire to help the new government rebuild the nation and promote national harmony. He is a member of the National Patriots Association.