– K. Siladass, August 29, 2017.
On 31st August 2017, the Federation of Malaya will be celebrating its sixtieth birthday. I recall the promises made by the founding fathers of Malaya. UMNO-MCA-MIC had promised that life would not be the same after 31 August 1957. The shame of colonialism would come to an end. All Malayans would be free, and Malaya would be a country of freedom -yes, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, freedom of worship and freedom from want. We were equals and would be treated equally. UMNO, the senior partner of the erstwhile Alliance convinced the leaders of MCA and MIC that it could be trusted, and those leaders convinced their respective peoples that UMNO could be trusted. We would not be slaves anymore. We would not allow any force in this world to enslave us and that was what Alliance promised us.
We were assured that Malaya shall be secular, notwithstanding article 3 of the Federal Constitution, which says Islam shall be the religion of t
he Federation of Malaya; and all other religions could co-exist, and practised without any hindrance. And we were also told that Malaya is the home for all Malayans. Conditions would be created to foster Malayan identity, friendship and camaraderie.
We grew up believing of a better future. We loved the friendliness, and the concern of each and every one for the other, never letting race and religion to cloud the natural human feelings. We were told, and warned, that racial and religious sentiments are of protean character capable of acquiring different forms and will be the source of endless problems and painful consequences, but in Malaya there will be no room for racial and religious hegemony. The people of different faiths and ethnicity are more important and need to be understood and respected, rather than the destructive bigotry. Malaya shall be the experimental station to coalesce the different peoples of different ethnic origins and distinct faiths to carve out the Malayan identity.
The Malays, Chinese and Indians of different faiths had lived in peace and harmony, nurtured and incubated goodwill long before Merdeka, although not on strong foundation; it was fragile, yet it showed its endurance. The colonialist did not see it necessary to strengthen inter-racial, inter-religious harmony. For them the best policy was divide and rule. On 31st August 1957, we believed that we had seen the back of the doctrine of divide and rule. No! It was not to be. In a different form, under the cloak of nationalism and new found political power, divide and rule has been revived.
We were then to
ld that to dispel communist-threat we should enter into an arrangement termed “merger”; which would create Malaysia. We were told that the basis of the constitution of the Federation of Malaya would be useful. It was modern, having moulded along the experiences of United States of America and the Republic of India. Freedom, equality before the law, freedom of worship, independence of judiciary were all guaranteed and incorporated into the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
We were a new nation and we have new brethren with whom we could share our destiny, our inspirations and aspirations. We will be rid of communists and with it every form of violence. We were to be a society of intellectuals believing in parliamentary democracy sharing lofty ideals of freedom and equality spelt out, and guaranteed in the Constitution. We had courts to adjudicate disputes that may arise from time. The judiciary will serve as the bastion of justice and all the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The founding fathers one by one left the scene, immortalised in history and the assurances they gave seemed to have fossilized in memory. The concept of racial and religious harmony was threatened and systematically eroded by non-compromising dogmatic and racial ideas so strange to Malaysians of the sixties. Somehow, the concept of racial harmony and religious tolerance appear to have wavered and the pragmatic, broad-minded Malaysians were rapidly losing ground: and had indeed lost ground.
Now, after sixty years what do I see? I see a country that had lost its original, noble ambitions. It had lost its honour to compete in the international scene and it had become the home of corrupt politicians who are at the helm of power. Corruption is at its height, independence of the judiciary is questioned, country’s economy is ailing, the value of our currency has nosedived; we are now cultivating the culture of blame – for example, blaming everybody except us, traditional entrepreneurs are beginning to abandon Malaysia thinking that the country is no longer safe for investment. The greed of corrupt politicians to grab all lucrative businesses is there for all to see.
We fought against South Africa’s apartheid policy but now a new form of apartheid is beginning to show its ugliness in the name of religion in our country.
I have seen British Malaya, Federation of Malaya and Malaysia and also had read about Malayan Union. I have seen the friendship among the peoples of different ethnic origins. We disagreed but found unity in disagreement. We believed we can live as one nation, but we are now told that classification based on class superiority is inevitable. Equality, freedom and judicial independence are what those in power determine. The leaders believe that our memory is short and we have the forgiving tendency. So why bother? The people will be with us, so declares the arrogant leadership. When their positions were threatened they resorted to undemocratic means of suppressing the voice of the accusers.
This is not the Malaya, or Malaysia our ancestors dreamt of, worked for and who are now immortalised in history. Where are we heading? Has Malaysia become a haven for the corrupt? Or has it become a rudderless country? Has it lost its conscience? Has it lost its place in the world of rational ideas? All these questions stare at us. Can Malaysia get out of this rut? That is the question that torments every fair-minded Malaysian? They know Malaysia can only survive if it can get rid of bigotry of every kind, it has to distance itself from every form of corruption, it has to have leaders who are incorruptible, honest and who must believe that Malaysia is the home for its people, for this generation and for the generations to come. Leaders have to be honest, sincere, efficient and incorruptible. We need leaders who speak with sincerity, not with honey on the lips and venom in their hearts.
We can still save Malaysia and all the noble ideas it stood for provided the corrupt leaders are deprived of power. Who then can save Malaysia? Who else, but the people? M E R D E K A.
