I was browsing around the various blogs today. When I reached the old codger Dr. M's blog, something caught my eye. It was entitled "Malay Unity and Malaysian Unity". So like a fool I read the article thinking (more like hoping) it was an article on how to achieve Malaysian Unity. What a fool I was..... Some of the points mentioned in the article were:-
1. The British are only partly responsible for the separation of the races in Malaysia, for keeping the Malays in the rural areas, the Chinese in the urban areas and the Indians in the estates. The different races are also responsible. They made no attempt to mix together as a matter of preference.
2. The hope at independence was that the non-Malays would accept a single national language and a single national identity. But it became clear very quickly that the Chinese and the Indians wanted to retain their identities, their mother tongue and their culture. They did not want to be solely Malaysians, certainly not Malays.
3. Politically it was a good formula and it worked. But when English schools were abolished and the Malay, Chinese and Indians children went to their own schools rather than to the national schools where the teaching was in the National Language. The hope for true national integration faded. After this even the attempt to put the schools from the three language streams in one campus was rejected by the Chinese.
4. Malay unity, if it becomes stronger will make it more difficult to bring about Malaysian unity. But it must be remembered that the Chinese and Indian are also keen to retain their identities more and more. The Hindraf memorandum is very telling. And the Chinese educationists want even stronger role for Chinese language.
So essentially, our dear old Dr. M believes that integration and unity was not achieved due to the unwillingness of the Chinese and Indians to conform to the Malay standards. So it is partly my fault. But 1 comment caught my eye. It basically sums up why the 'pendatangs' were not willing to integrate:-
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Dear Tun
I believe that it is not the non-Malays'choice to retain their root identities; they were force to do so because they have been kept reminded by the government's actions all these years through the NEP where almost every opportunities ie government jobs, bumi rights, business assistance, education, etc are accorded to the Malays. The non-Malays have been reminded constantly that they do not have equal rights. Now, how can they be blamed now for being accused of retaining their roots? Besides, isn't this what the government has been promoting overseas that Malaysia is a multi-cultural country to attract tourism? Selamat berpuasa Tun and family.
That my friends are my exact sentiments. 2020 my ass.