WITH the National Unity Ministry coming up with the National Unity Action Plan soon, a prominent author and activist dismissed it outright, calling it a “third grade political gimmick”.
“In general, Malaysian politicians lack cognitive skills and have no foresight. So, it’s no surprise when the new Prime Minister launched the Malaysian Family concept, everyone in the ruling coalition jumped straight into the ludicrous bandwagon.
“It’s the same when former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched his 1Malaysia concept. The same circus performers lapped it up without even knowing what was it all about.
“Similarly, National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique is doing everything she can to grab every possible opportunity to keep her ministry and herself relevant to the premier’s new concept,” Kavyan Writers’ Group founder Uthaya Sankar SB told FocusM.
Two days ago, Halimah announced that her ministry would launch the National Unity Action Plan at the end of this year to foster community unity in line with the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) concept.
She said it was an overall blueprint plan that included the Perpaduan Kindergarten Early Childhood Education Plan 2021-2030, the Rukun Tetangga Community Leadership Empowerment Plan 2021-2030 and the Keluarga Malaysia Unity Plan.
“Besides that, the ministry is also creating the Kelab Rukun Negara modules in schools and the Rukun Negara Secretariat at the university level to instil the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia so that it starts from the basics, including the Rukun Negara and the Constitution,” she said on RTM’s “Inklusif” programme.
Hurling brickbats at the plan, Uthaya said that all her plans would surely look good on paper but effect minimal changes on the rising polarisation on multi-racial Malaysia, which was largely caused by politicians and their operatives across the country.
“And I’m sure even Halimah herself knows how hollow her plans are, which will bring little benefit to the people.
“Everyone who had lived in Malaysia for the last 30 years would know the plans are just made to create a feel-good feeling temporarily, until everything goes back to where it was soon after,” he retorted.
Racism a reality among minorities
Touching on the subject, Uthaya said that non-Malays and non-Muslims encounter racism almost on a daily, with the words “penumpang” and “pendatang” being thrown at the communities.
He added that the racists are also supported by powerful individuals, such as Islamic religious speakers who make derogatory statements against the minorities.
“Take for example the talks by Syakir Nasoha. Countless police reports have been lodged against him with clear evidence given. However, he is still walking around freely.
“Our national badminton star S Kisona was abused with a racist slur but the politician escaped legal action just because he apologised and resigned from his party post.
“And have we forgotten the plight of Indira Gandhi? Despite the Federal Court itself quashing her children’s conversion and ordering her converted husband to return their third daughter to the mother, the authorities have failed to act on it,” Uthaya lamented.
On that note, the veteran Malay-language author said that this was the reality the minority community was facing daily, with political leaders and authorities looking away.
Uthaya himself had been at loggerheads with the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) since early this year over the latter’s decision to only allow Muslims to use the word Tuhan (with a capital T) in their Malay language publications.
Non-Malay writers are told to use the word tuhan (with a small t) instead.
“The thing is, we don’t need any fancy slogans to bring us together as one nation. All the Government has to do is treat every Malaysian equally, apply the laws of the land without fear and favour and respect us. That itself will do, without having to waste time and money on shallow concepts.
“Unless the Malaysian Family is just another way of explaining the content of George Orwell’s satire entitled ‘Animal Farm’, where ‘all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’”, as proclaimed by the pigs who control the Government,” Uthaya remarked. – Oct 16, 2021
