Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King, executive chairman of Sin Chew Media Corporation Malaysia (centre, in blue), welcoming PM Datuk Seri Mohd Najib and his wife Datin Seri Paduka Rosmah Mansor with the lion dance. – Picture by Jack Ooi
PETALING JAYA, Feb 28 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak today attempted to revive his battered 1 Malaysia concept by urging Malaysians to adopt its paradigm of “total acceptance” of the country’s diversity instead of mere “tolerance”.
The Prime Minister launched his 1 Malaysia idea when he took office last April but a recent spate of racial and derogatory remarks from his Umno party has further divided rather than united Malaysian behind his Barisan Nasional government.
His efforts to liberalise government policies and create a more inclusive, more open policy towards all races appear to have riled Malay right-wingers who now fear that his 1 Malaysia would cause them to lose their rights to the minority races.
“We started off with one basic paradigm and that is tolerance. We say we tolerate or we live in a society that is tolerant of one another. But in the concept of 1 Malaysia, being tolerant is just the beginning.
“The next paradigm is a shift from tolerance to total acceptance. This is when we accept the differences of our people, when we accept diversity as something that is unique, that provides us with a very powerful chemistry in our society... something that can actually give us strength and not otherwise,” Najib said at the Sin Chew Daily’s Chinese New Year open house here.
He added that the third and final paradigm of 1 Malaysia was to celebrate diversity.
“To celebrate diversity – that is our final destination, the final apex. If we celebrate our diversity, then it means we have reached our final destination of ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ and 1 Malaysia. This means that we think as one people, one nation, one dream,” the Umno president said.
Najib added that certain groups may embark on separate pathways but what was important was that all Malaysians converged and reached the same final destination.
“I am sure we all share this same dream – to achieve unity, harmony and prosperity – but we may take different paths to get there. Sin Chew may take a different path, Utusan Malaysia may take a different path but what is important is that we must converge and reach that final destination.
“Of course we much allow discourse and some room for dissent and differences of opinion but we must ensure that it is not at the expense of harmony. We must be conscious that we are slowly and surely bringing Malaysia to harmony,” he said.
Najib warned the people that if Malaysia was not well looked after, the entire nation would fall.
“If we stick to that thinking, then I am confident we can maintain this colourful tapestry of our society - there is no other nation more colourful than Malaysia,” he said.
As if to acknowledge the flailing popularity of 1 Malaysia, Najib also sought to remind Malaysians that 1 Malaysia was not merely a slogan but a continuation of the struggles of Malaysia’s past five prime ministers.
“I am continuing the work of the previous prime ministers. They have, in their own ways, worked towards a more united, harmonious and prosperous Malaysia. They worked tirelessly in their own ways and during their own times and some, through very turbulent times.
“I would like to say that this (1 Malaysia) is a continuation. Many people say they have heard of 1 Malaysia but they must know that it is more than just a slogan - it is about understanding and embracing the principles within the concept which are the values that bring us to shift from one paradigm to the next,” he added.
Najib’s remarks came after nearly 80 Malay groups formed the Majlis Perundingan Melayu or Malay Consultative Council (MPM), ostensibly to protect and defend Malay rights, Islam and the Malay Rulers which they claim is being questioned and sidelined in recent months.
A Malay group leader said the MPM will focus on the economic rights and privileges of the Malays and Bumiputeras to ensure they are not neglected in the New Economic Model (NEM) that the Najib Administration will introduce next month to stimulate the economy.
Najib had said innovation and creativity is needed to push Malaysia into a high-income nation, adding protection and subsidies will have to give way to greater competition in a global world. Malay groups warn that such a move will shrink their share of the economic pie which they claim is dominated by minority groups.
Malaysia recorded 4.5 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 which helped it out of the recession although the 2009 GDP contracted 1.7 per cent, less than the 3 per cent contraction forecast earlier.
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