On 31st August, last year, I ended the ‘Bangsa Malaysia : You and I can make this real!’ post with the following :
‘The concept of Bangsa Malaysia envisages that all anak Bangsa Malaysia are equal.
This is as it should be.
Islam teaches us that God made us all equal.
Islam teaches us that those who are blessed with more must reach out to those who have less.
All who have less, without exception must be helped.
This is implicit in the concept of Bangsa Malaysia.
Islam teaches us that we are all brothers and sisters in creation.
This is the very foundation of Bangsa Malaysia.
To my Malay and non-Malay brothers and sisters who share the views above, let us work together to help others see the truth of what has been happening in our country.
My friends and I are working on a series of Bangsa Malaysia talks that we hope to take through the country.
Owing to constraints of time and finance, we cannot yet say when we can get these off the ground.
When we do, we will need your help and support.
The Bangsa Malaysia concept aims to end the ‘us and them’
Let us work together to bring an end to this ‘us and them’.’
To this post, 87 comments and an almost equal number of e-mails were received, mostly offering to help in one way or another with the envisaged anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative.
In response to those comments and e-mails, I had, on 5th September, last year, in the ‘Taking Bangsa Malaysia forward’ post, written :
‘My staff are presently collating the e-mail addresses of all those who have sent in comments and e-mails with offers to help. Once this is completed, you will each receive an invitation to join an e-group so that we can try and brainstorm how we might take this initiative forward.’
One week later, RPK was detained under the ISA and, rightly or wrongly, the anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative took a backseat.
Anti-ISA vigils took centre stage.
DSAI’s ‘on-off-on-off’ takeover of the federal government proved to be another major distraction.
As did the transition of power saga between Pak Lah and Najib.
So, too, Kugan’s death.
And Kuala Terengganu.
It’s been one distraction after another.
Then Markus reminded me.
It’s time to get the Anak Bangsa Malaysia show on the road.
Ee Chia’s been working with me on the production of a Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia T-shirt. That should be out soon.
Jaya’s going to sit down with me to structure the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia forum that we hope to bring to you.
Last night, at the PJ Anti-ISA vigilers get-together at the Lotus Restaurant, new ideas sprang forth as to how we might optimise the opportunity to interact that the proposed forums will offer us.
And to those who wrote in earlier offering to help, an invitation will be coming to you in the next few days to join the e-group so that you can share your ideas with the rest of us as well as help us to take this initiative forward.
Anyone else want to get involved? Drop me a line at thepeoplesparliament@gmail.com
I look forward to working with all of you in this endeavour.
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