Referendum not equal to Democracy

Malaysian Mirror

The single and multiple stream controversy has spread to the Parliament and it is expected to continue being a discussion issue in the future.

When being asked about whether the Government was prepared to hold a referendum to find out what the majority of Malaysians want regarding the current education system by Pasir Mas independent Member of Parliament Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the Government has no plan to hold a referendum on the proposal to change the country’s education system to single stream school. Instead, the current multiple stream system will be maintained. He stressed that before implementing any policy, the Government must first look at the problem from different perspectives and take into account the wishes of all races.

The reply is basically in line with the Chinese community's wishes and the principle of democracy.

In fact, even having a referendum would be a direct manifestation of democracy, it does not mean a real democracy. It is because the spirit and principle of democracy do not limited to the principle of the Minority Subordinate to the Majority, but the majority must also respect the minority. A referendum may easily resulted in the suppression of the minority by the majority.

"It looks like democracy but in fact, is lack of the spirit of democracy."

Having a referendum to deal with the issue of basic educational rights involving different racial group is in fact a “majority hegemony” in which the so-called democracy is actually a suppression of the fixed “minority” by the fixed “majority”. It looks like democracy but in fact, is lack of the spirit of democracy.

As for the single and multiple stream controversy, if there are people who do not agree that Malaysian Chinese and Indians are having their own sovereign rights in making the final decision for the education system; do not agree that multiple races, multiple cultures and multiple stream education system are a strength, rather than a burden, for Malaysia; or, do not agree that the multiple education system will not affect the national unity, the issue of implementing a single stream system will continue being speculated or even being used as a political capital.

If we agree that it is already an unchangeable fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial country, then we must keep faith in the negotiation, toleration and pluralism system. We must work hard to promote mutual respect, mutual learning, mutual exchange and mutual integration among all racial groups. We must as well offer all races equal opportunities to freely develop in economy, politics, culture and education.

We must be clear that the ideal of the so-called racial unity and racial integration must be built on the basis of mutual love and respect, instead of allowing only the development of one or certain racial group and high-handedly force other racial groups to abandon their own cultures, beliefs, languages and educations.

Many politicians are attempting to present himself as a racial fighter or claiming himself the democracy fighter under the veil of “referendum”. But once a high-handed man forgets about rationality, respect and toleration, and pushes those who are “not in the same racial group” with him to the opposition site, then he will no longer qualified to be called a racial fighter or a democracy fighter. Instead, he is just a typical racist with a strong exclusionary thought! (By LIM MUN FAH/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)