An anak Bangsa Malaysia’s call to Uthayakumar

By Haris Ibrahim

Shakuntala sent in a comment to the “A Challenge to Uthayakumar…” post. It really does articulate what so many of us feel that I felt it deserved a reproduction here as a post.

It’s reproduced in full below.

Thank you, Shakuntala.

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I’m first and foremost an Anak Bangsa Malaysia and I want the numbers to grow….they are already. I believe in being an Anak Bangsa Malaysia only because the concept embraces all of us, whether we are black, yellow, a lighter shade of pale,dark brown, light brown and even white.That’s how far we have come already!There is no stopping the tide.

If we look ahead, our children and their children are not going to be in their particular national grooves…they are all going to be mixed and more mixed…they are definitely going to be MALAYSIAN. There’s no two ways….only ONE, the Malaysian Way.

A true leader who has the welfare of all Malaysians at heart, will heed the call…. for unity and intergration of all races.Because that’s the character of our country, Malaysia. We want the lousy word RACE to end and the only way to do it, is to unite and put an end to this damned thing called RACE which is causing no end of negatives…and problems.

Uthayakumar,….I heard that you fought very hard for a Chinese boy, who was a victim of police brutality, a few years back. I’m not sure if you were successful,or what came of it, but it just shows the kind of person you really are, not a race based crazy fanatic, but a far-sighted all embracing, generous person of the calibre of, maybe,Nelson Mandela?

You’ve been in prison like him. The experience has not embittered you, that is quite obvious. As a result too,of your prison term, you must be imbued with an extra, born again spirit ..a far- sighted one looking beyond the confines of nearness and of only one race,..but rather one that spans miles to embrace a nobler and worthier cause..That cause is the call to a better and united Malaysia and the only way that can come about is, when all of us become ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION, without separation into different races.

Remember,Uthayakumar, your children are the children of Malaysia.They are no longer Indians in this land. They want to live in a united world, a world in which they do not have to fit into race lines and be within a frame….they want to be free to be called just human beings. And because they live in Malaysia they want to be called Malaysians. They will not want prefixes, ie, malay, chinese indian.It is a very strong and enduring wish.

So please look ahead and see this as something to work for, to fight for, to live for, and finally to achieve … a hand is being stretched out that needs grasping.Shake that hand of friendship and far-sightedness, it belongs to Haris Ibrahim, but it is really all of our hands, the hands of the Anak2 Bangsa Malaysia, reaching out to you and Hindraf to join forces.

Take hold of that hand of friendship, and go together as ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION, to secure Justice and Equality for all Malaysians.