Sarah Stewart
Jan 30, 07 4:46am
This year should be a time for celebration in Malaysia as 2007 marks
the country's 50th anniversary of independence from colonial ruler
Britain and the birth of the multicultural nation.
But instead many are lamenting an alarming slide in race relations
which the milestone has highlighted, along with the rising influence
of Islam which has alienated ethnic Chinese and Indian citizens.
"There is a general sense on the ground that things are getting out
of hand," said civil rights activist and lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.
"It's causing a lot of fear and consternation and tensions are rising."
Malik, who has received death threats for his efforts to protect
religious freedom in the Muslim-majority nation, takes issue with the
government's tourism-brochure portrayal of a peaceful multi-ethnic
Malaysia."My fears are that we'll become even more racially divided,
the economy's going to plunge, the Islamist aspects will become even
more pronounced, and what you'll have is a wholesale dismantling of
the rule of law," he said.
"And you'll see a country imploding, and that's not a very good
prospect."
As the nation prepares for a huge party on August 31, half a century
after the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman joyfully declared
"Merdeka" or independence, many are wondering what went wrong.
Ethnic Indian activist Waytha Moorthy recalls that during his
childhood, his father used to invite friends of all religions to
their home to celebrate the Hindu festival of light, Deepavali, to
eat, drink and socialise.
"But now currently I see my nieces and nephews, they do not have any
Muslim friends, and they all complain they can't develop a
relationship with the Muslims," he said.
Positive discrimination
Much of the unhappiness centres on positive discrimination policies
introduced in 1971 to raise the status of Muslim Malays who make up
60 percent of the population against 26 percent ethnic Chinese and
eight percent ethnic Indians.
Despite the leg-up, bumiputeras - as Malays and members of indigenous
groups are often called here - continue to lag far behind the
Chinese, triggering calls for an overhaul of the system in which the
big winners have been Malay entrepreneurs who cash in on an array of
subsidies.
Political commentators say Malaysia must stop obsessing over how to
divide the nation's wealth, and instead focus on how to boost the
economy so that all will benefit.
"I hope that the challenges of globalisation will make all Malaysian
leaders face up to the harsh truth that if we do not get our people
to unite together as Malaysians, then we will all suffer," said
opposition leader Lim Kit Siang.
"What is happening now in many areas - in nation building and racial
and religious polarisation, and on international competitiveness - we
seem to be losing steam."
Apart from the economic squabbles, an ugly new theme has emerged
recently with clashes over the rights of non-Muslims which some say
are being sidelined as Islamic authorities exercise their influence.
The cases of mountaineering hero M Moorthy who was born a Hindu but
buried as a Muslim despite his family's protests, and Lina Joy, who
is trying to have her conversion from Islam to Christianity
recognised, have been landmark cases.
Hindus are also complaining that their right to worship is being
compromised, and anger has flared over what they say is the
demolition of thousands of temples over the past decade to make way
for development.
Big parade with little meaning
The government, which is determined to prevent a repeat of bloody
1960s race riots, has introduced education reforms and a national
service programme aimed at encouraging the races to mingle.
But meanwhile some of the most racially charged rhetoric has been
coming from the ruling party itself
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said that the ethnic divide
is a "disease" that must be tackled openly, and appealed for the
anniversary celebrations to emphasise national unity, but many are
nonplussed.
"I think it's embarrassing that after 50 years, we have a weaker
judicial system, a weaker parliamentary system, the corruption index
is lower - you name it," said Imtiaz.
"So we'll have a big parade and we'll all be out there waving our
flags as we always do, but it means very little I think."
- AFP
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