1Malaysia is a branding that is nothing but a political lie and smacks of hypocrisy. The truth is that Najib Tun Razak himself has no understanding of what truly constitutes 1Malaysia.
What he does know very well is that he is desperate to reign for as many years as he possibly can as the prime minister of this country.
This claim is made on the basis of the recent news concerning a Sikh teenage boy, Basant Singh, who was attending the national service training at its training camp at Sungai Bakap in Penang.
It is common knowledge that the steel Sikh bangle and their long hair are a must wear according to their religion. As such, it was disgusting to learn about how this Sikh boy’s hair was cut and that too in a cowardly manner, when he was asleep.
Did Najib not know about the fact the Sikh males wear turbans and there is no question of them cutting their hair as it is prohibited by their religion? Was there no provision made to accommodate the Sikh participants’ sensitivities at the training camp?
Malaysia boasts of the largest Sikh community in South Asia, more than 60,000. In spite of that, the Sikh religion remains unknown to many Malaysians who cannot differentiate between a Sikh and a Bengali.
In Basant Singh’s case, cutting the boy’s hair is nothing less than blasphemy. Who now will take responsibility for this ignorant show of authority? While the National Service and Training Department owes the Sikh community a public apology, Najib too must not be spared – he must come out and apologise for the display of such insensitivity.
If there is no apology from Najib, it confirms that his 1Malaysia deserves no place in the heart of the rakyat, for it is nothing but a money-spinning strategy to win votes and oust the opposition, which in due time can perform better in administering the country.
When it was the issue of the use of the word ‘Allah’, the Muslims were ready to pounce of the non-Malays over this issue. And when it concerned the Malay rights issue accorded under Article 153 by the Federal Constitution, the Muslims were again ready to slam those who questioned their privileges.
Thankfully, the Sikh community is a respected and civilised one and believes in solving issues without trespassing decency; still this is not to be taken for granted by the other races in trampling the rights and ‘privileges’ of the Sikhs.
Najib bribes in the open
Once the truth has been swallowed that in reality the concept of 1Malaysia does not exist, it will make it easier for the voters, especially the Indian voters to make the informed decision of whom to vote for.
Speaking of votes, while the federal government is hoodwinking people into believing it is dead against corruption, the not savvy leader in Najib failed to show a good example when he recently openly bribed the Indians, and that too, during the auspicious event of Thaipusam.
During his visit to the Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Najib shamelessly bribed the Indians there when he said Thaipusam would be announced a public holiday in Kedah should Barisan Nasional win the 13th general election.
Further bribe was put forward when Najib said that the government would (sic) consider applications for financial aid to upgrade the temple (read if only BN wins the next general election, otherwise no go for Indian places of worship).
Indeed, Najib through his foolishness and shamelessness is living evidence that politics is not a game the wise choose to play. If this was not insulting enough, during his visit to Batu Caves on Thaipusam day, Najib played to the gallery when he declared a RM10 million cable car project for Batu Caves and which will be ready next year.
More bribe was given when he said the government had allocated RM6.9 million for the Batu Caves beautification and landscaping programme and also the construction of a new block for the SJK (T) Batu Caves, the latter which was completed last month.
Perhaps the cable car idea is Najib’s shortcut to amass as many Indian supporters-cum-voters as possible. But then, climbing up the 272 steps of the Batu Caves temple has no substitute, for in doing so, one takes on many challenges i.e.physically, mentally and spiritually. Yes, something to ferry the old folks and the disabled people up the steps would be much welcome instead, the intion being noble and not hidden.
And with all the racial discord facing Malaysians, Najib once again went into denial by rambling “if we are able to celebrate diversity, we have reached the ultimate in terms of accepting diversity as a source of strength for our country.” This was at Batu Caves.
In Sungai Petani, Najib said the freedom of religion practiced in the country proved the government is fair to all. He added the government’s stand in maintaining racial and religious harmony in the country could be seen clearly through the 1Malaysia concept which is based on unity. He said Malaysians would not be so narrow minded to reject the 1Malaysia concept, alluding to the Selangor state government’s move to bar the use of the 1Malaysia logos.
Now, what does the Indian community have to say to this show of disrespect by Najib, who walks into the temple ground and offers bribe to the Indians before openly turning the religious event into his political propaganda? Or have the Indians been quickly been bought over by the ‘powers that be’ that they have become numb to such display of arrogance and insensitivity?
No one religion is superior
It is getting tired to read and hear Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom cautioning the non-Malays on being sensitive to the Malays. The May 13, 1969 racial outburst came and went and yet politicians have not learned to appreciate and cherish unity.
Religious issues are sensitive and this post-May 13, 1969 is a bitter lesson the ‘powers that be’ have failed to learn. Religions have been segregated into superior and dominant, all at the expense of peace and unity in the country.
There is only one concern, that Islam remains the ‘premier’ religion at all costs. If this was not true, then the concern shown over the issue concerning Basant Singh would have ‘troubled’ just about everyone.
It was just last year January when an uproar by the Muslims over the court declaration that the Christians can use the word ‘Allah’ proved that the unity Malaysians were once so proud of had reached an all-time low.
The court’s decision made many a Muslim unhappy resulting in churches and a gurdwara (Sikh temple) being burned and vandalised. Muslim preachers were abusing the Friday sermons to object to the court’s verdict.
One year later, has anything really changed for the better? Has Malaysia become a united nation, truly?
If looking back at the insult and humiliation of September 2009 where some 50 Muslims stomped and spat at the severed head of a cow to display their anger over the construction of a Hindu temple in their neighbourhood in Section 23, Shah Alam, the answer is definitely not.
What happened to the sensitivity of these group of people, knowing fully well that the cow is regarded as a scared animal by the Hindus.
That was painfully bad enough, but when the demonstrators barked that their neighbourhood had a 90 per cent Muslim population and building a temple was inappropriate, this again revealed how shallow Malaysians have become in their acceptance and tolerance of other faiths.
That other religions are not significant was evident when protest honcho Ibrahim Sabri shouted: “If there is blood, you (the government) will be responsible. I challenge the Selangor government leaders to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension.”
So much for 1Malaysia. Fellow ‘leader’ Mohammad Zurit Ramli had said a temple would disturb Muslim practices.
“The temple will disrupt our daily activities like prayers. We cannot concentrate with the sounds coming from the temple,” was how Mohammad Zurit showed off his insensitivity towards practices of the other religions.
Najib’s ministers’ lack courtesy
In the Basant Singh case, the National Service and Training Department had no decency in tendering an apology to the boy and his family.
Likewise, nor did ministers holding portfolios affecting the rakyat have the courtesy to express any remorse.
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Jalil showed no interest to offer help and neither did Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim who is busy promoting Najib’s 1Malaysia find it worth his while to chide the National Service and Training Department over its carelessness in allowing such an incident to take place.
Even minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon has shown no interest in admonishing the National Service Department. It is a paradox that while Koh has been made in charge of unity and performance management, he failed to shine in fulfilling his responsibility in helping with the Basant Singh case.
And since Koh has been given the task of handling Najib’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP), which comprises monitoring the performance of ministries and six national key result areas (NKRAs) through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), only time will tell whether he can do a sincere assessment of the ministries’ performances.
As for Rais he will have to work harder to educate the rakyat about the culture and religious significance involving the Sikh community.
After all, it is certainly related to the 1Malaysia propaganda he is so zealously propagating.
In Koh’s case, his never-ending habit of playing safe to appease his political masters has proven his undoing in the last general election.
The only minister expressing anger instead was Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who promised strict action against the culprit.
He said if an individual was found guilty, he must apologise to the boy’s family and the National Service and Training Department. It is an irony that amidst his concern, Ahmad Zahid did not find it necessary to chide the National Service Department, demanding that it apologise to Basant and his family.
Looking at the reaction of these ministers, hypothetically, if a Muslim child was wronged, what would their reaction be, silence or an uproar demanding justice? Why was National Service and Training Department director-general Abdul Hadi Awang Kechik not rebuked for his indifference over this issue, conveniently passing the buck to the police?
All Abdul Hadi could say was that the camp commandment had been told to meet Basant’s parents to discuss if the boy wanted to switch camps or defer the training. Now, what good would either do as the damage has already been done!
It is said unity in diversity is what leads to peace and acceptance. But when it took the MIC chief G Palanivel to urge the National Service and Training Department to apology to the Sikh community over the Basant Singh episode, what unity is Najib going around bragging?
Abdul Hadi was not the least regretful that such an incident happened under his watch and had further marred the already-maligned National Service image.
Since its inception in 2003, the National Service has been besieged with a host of problems, including reports of rape, bullying, death of participants and the dirty conditions of the camps which had led to health problems like food poisoning.
Will the federal government ever learn from its mistakes?
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