The irony of nation building

By: Huang Miao Luan (translated name)
Sin Chew Jit Poh, May 15, 2014

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik’s “Chinese are invaders” statement is similar to UMNO Bukit Bendera chief Ahmad Ismail’s “Chinese are squatters” statement made in 2008, both of them are perceiving the world based on a narrow vision of single race. Such statement is a shock and irony to the construction of multi-racial and cultural society in Malaysia.

After more than half a century of independence, Malaysia’s current challenge is the issue of nation building. In the past 57 years, the effort of nation building remained sluggish and has not reached a new chapter. The obstacle to realizing a multi-racial and religion society is actually UMNO’s on-going defense on Malay supremacy since its establishment in 1946. As long as UMNO is not willing to compromise on the issue of Malay supremacy, it will never allow the non-Bumiputras in this country to enjoy the same treatment as Bumiputras. The wrestle between Bumiputra and non-Bumiputras is exactly the wrestle between one single race and the multiple races.

The 57 years of nation building obviously has remained in the colonial era mind-set in 1946. The so-called nation building is merely constructed based on the culture and religion of one single race, which is dominated by Malay culture and Islam. Nation building has been a relatively controversial issue; other social groups have been striving to include their own culture and religion as part of nation building and stressed that nation building should respect diversity instead of a single race.

Unfortunately, such voices were not taken into consideration by the current government. Malaysian Chinese community’s concerns in language and cultural rights as well as their persistence in Chinese education is a reflection to the situation. The Anwar-led political reformation movement in 1998 has become the rise of opposition coalition after 10 years. Pakatan Rakyat has shaken Barisan Nasional’s foundation for the first time in 2008 general election, providing opportunity to the two-front system in Malaysia.

In 2013 general election, Pakatan did not succeed in taking over the ruling power, in addition to that is the internal strife of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and PAS insisting to enforce Hudud law in Kelantan, all these have brought UMNO back to the Malay dominance political stance, extreme saying such as “Chinese are invaders” is just one of the many seditious statements after 2013 general election.

I chose to believe that such statements have definitely been acquiesced. Ahmad Ismail who made the “Chinese are squatters” statement was not punished, in contrary, the journalist who reported his speech was detained under internal security act. For the latest statement of “Chinese are invaders”, I am curious to see who would be the next scapegoat.

In order for Malaysia’s nation building to move forward, we could only depend on the new generation who spurns mono-sided politics and call for pluralistic politics. This is the only way for extreme words that call for Chinese to return to China, Indian to return to India, as well as accusing that Chinese are squatters and are invaders to come to an end.

Original Source: 黃妙鸞‧國族建構的諷刺