Najib’s 1Malaysia concept means “a thousand and one” different things even to Umno and BN Ministers and leaders

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is unhappy about the various misconceptions over the 1Malaysia concept which he introduced upon taking office in April last year, causing him to lament yesterday in his keynote speech at the 1Malaysia Economic Conference: “I am greatly saddened that such an idea, which is not terribly complicated, is so often not understood.”

Najib has only himself to blame as the 1Malaysia concept has come to mean “a thousand and one” different things even to Umno and Barisan Ministers and leaders – let alone to the people at large.

This is why even his senior aide of some two decades, Datuk Nasir Safar, could interpret Najib’s 1Malaysia as inclusive of offensive and insensitive sentiments such as:

• Labelling Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as “pendatang”;

• “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially the women came to sell their bodies (jual tubuh)”;

• Claimed that Umno was solely responsible in drafting the constitution sidelining the contribution of MCA and MIC;

• Threat to revoke the citizenship of those vocal about the subject cap for SPM examination.

Although Nasir was subsequently forced to resign and apologise for his insensitive and derogatory remarks, this is not because Najib has succeeded in establishing that such racist and insensitive thoughts are against the very core of his 1Malaysia concept, but because Nasir was foolish enough to be caught red-handed in publicly espousing such racist and extremist views.

In fact, there is an entire government department, the Biro Tata Negara, with a budget of some RM600 million in the past decade, whose very purpose is to disseminate such racist and divisive ideology among the new generation of Malaysians, particularly civil servants.

The first 10 months of Najib premiership have been marred by a series of incidents which make a total mockery of his 1Malaysia concept – for instance the insensitive cowhead demonstration against the Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in Selangor in August last year or the demonstration against the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng last month slanted to provoke racial sentiments.

Officially, the goal of 1Malaysia is defined as creating a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first and race (whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban), religion (Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh) or region as second.

But no leader, whether BN or UMNO, dare to publicly espouse this as it flies in the face of the Umno ideology of “Ketuanan Melayu”!

It is no wonder that Umno and BN leaders are lost at my suggestion for a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap, as the Barisan Nasional Cabinet and Government are unable to reconcile the stark contradictions between the exclusive Umno ideology of “Ketuanan Melayu” with an inclusive 1Malaysia concept.

I will move a motion in Parliament next month for the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on the 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap.

Najib should ensure that his 1Malaysia does not continue to mean “a thousand and one” different things even in the BN Cabinet and Government so as to be able to support the proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap which is headed by a senior Pakatan Rakyat MP.

Najib should know that his 1Malaysia concept is a total mockery and does not deserve to be taken seriously when he dare not even support the idea of a Parliamentary Select Committee for 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap.