NATIONAL INTEGRATION

By K.Siladass

Memorandum submitted to the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Integration and National Service in 2006.

Any deliberation focusing on the issue of national integration should begin with an open mind. Parliament’s willingness to hear public view on this issue signals the importance it places on it. It can also be seen that the experiments over a period of forty-seven years had not taken us anywhere in the pursuit of national integration. Perhaps it is also an admission that arbitrary measures in the name of national integration had failed because there was not any concerted effort to read the pulse of the population - an admixture of various races, languages, religions, cultures and distinct behavioural patterns. Thus the deliberation must be combined with maturity, sincere approach, attitude and a desire and political will to discover why the earlier formulae had failed and to ponder what better alternatives would work.

To begin with, it would be unwise to believe that economic amelioration alone would pave way to national integration. It would also be incorrect to think that religious scruples could be the foundation for national integration. Sadly, the experiments based on these elements had indeed failed. We must be ready to admit it and think of other measures that would lead to national integration. A false semblance of national integration would not help us; for, beneath it lies dangerous ingredients of hatred, distrust and hopeless disunity.

We have to consider:

(a) Whether our previous priorities in relation to national integration had been correct?

(b) Whether there has been any attempt to forge national integration at all, if so what was the basis and what are the results?

Equally it will be important to ask ourselves whether we have looked at problems surfacing from time to time on the basis of immediate solution with the intention of pleasing one group rather than looking at those problems in a global way and find solutions which would have helped us along the way to national integration.

Taking the above mentioned questions in their entirety it could be argued that the idea of national integration is easy to enunciate but hard to forge if there is no political will and allow ourselves to be guided by narrow-minded vision.

Thus in the light of practical difficulties in finding permanent solutions towards national integration it may be thought that temporary measures would be adequate; but experience had shown this to be a fallacy.

These, indeed, are uncomfortable, if not disturbing, issues facing Malaysians. And no one would want to address them because there is always the fear lurking in the background that they are too sensitive and our people are not sufficiently mature enough to tackle hard questions. Hard questions are economic questions and although they play pivotal role yet, they are not conclusive. Many of us believed for the last four decades and more, and still believe, that national integration could be achieved if the economic imbalance among the Malaysian people is eradicated. Past events have shown that this is far from the truth.

The economic imbalance that prevailed prior to 1969, the improved economy of the country and generous distribution of wealth to a particular group since then do not show that it has helped to achieve national integration, or, sadly we are anywhere near in achieving it.

If we were talking about economic imbalance of three and more decades ago when national integration would have been a vague concept, the last two decades had seen the divide amongst the various Malaysian ethnic groups becoming more obvious. So much so, an innocuous advertisement had been taken out of context, and given a distorted meaning, calling in racial sentiments. This goes to show that we are still so immature in our understanding of fiction and our inability to distinguish between acting and reality. When our law makers themselves descend so low as to question the artistic talent of an actor or that of the creator of that plot, what more if ordinary people become engulfed with emotions and ignore reason. Instances like these do not help to forge national integration.

Members of Parliament themselves must set an example not to be too sensitive and raise issues which could give rise to unpleasant results. They should be role-models to inculcate and nurture national integration. They should be prepared to ask questions, debate on issues intelligently. It is said that the law makers must be bold enough to ask questions however silly they may be; but then, if silly questions are asked we can only expect silly answers. It is submitted that Parliament has a paramount role to play to ensure national integration develops into a reality. Thus far it has been a pious hope.

Religion and National integration

If correcting economic imbalance had been the battle-cry some three and more decades ago, the trend has changed whereby the impetus is now on religion. Whichever country, and especially a country with multi-racial make-up cannot be too religious prone because we have seen that where religion had been the dominating and dominant factor, national integration had failed and rotting disintegration had set in.

The ramification following the correction of economic imbalance policy has seen a wider divide into ‘Us and Them’ – to borrow the phrase of Samuel P. Huntington in his “Clash of Civilizations”. This ‘Us and Them’ feeling had actually acquired a very sinister connotation whereby it had the effect of preventing national integration and if there is any vestige of belief that it could be ultimately realised it is doomed to fail because the phrase ‘Us and Them’ is based on religious sentiments. This “Us and Them” trend seems to have gained a strong grounding in schools, and that, is very dangerous.

Forty years ago children in schools mixed around freely, talked freely, fought freely without raising religious animosity. Today, schools have become dangerous institutions where hatred, mistrust and animosity are nurtured.

Children are taught that a particular religion is far superior to other religions - children belonging to a particular faith are protected by God and the rest are not. Even in sports religion is encouraged. So much so, even referees are now praying before officiating a game hoping divine help would be available to control the game.

If children grow up; or, are taught to grow up to be faithful to their religion and ignore the rest, then, this will not help national integration.

Children of different races and faiths should be taught to respect one another and love one another and not instill in them a feeling of superiority or inferiority.

It is an open secret that in institutions of higher learning too there is lot of racial polarization. This could only be due to the poor teaching of human values at lower levels and which had crept into institutions of higher learning.

When analysing children’s’ attitude as it was some forty years ago and looking at the children’s’ attitude now, we cannot fail to see that we have been miserably unsuccessful in achieving national integration. There is in fact a fear that children are not getting the best education and there is too much of religious dose in National type schools.

Wherever talents may be found they ought to be recognised and appreciated. They should not be viewed with racial and religious bias. National schools should not be used for propagating religion, and teachers should be trained to keep religion away from classrooms, sports and all other places of school activities. Schools should be secular if we are sincere in our effort to achieve national integration. It is also important that we do not have teachers who secretly harbour the intention to sow the seeds of religious fanaticism in our children.

If schools and institutions of higher learning have become the breeding ground for discontent stemming from racial and religious sentiments, the civil service is also not free from racial polarization.

The uniformed and non-uniformed services do not seem to support the view that National Integration is in place. These services, it is submitted, should be revamped to reflect the racial composition of this country.

The “Four to One” concept, i.e. recruitment of civil servants on the basis of one non-Malay to four Malays was a prudent exercise in the 1950’s and followed during the pre-Merdeka negotiations and post Merdeka era. The employment market, which was very restrictive in those days, is no longer true. Today, ample employment opportunities are available in private as well as public sectors, and it is only fair in the name of National Integration that some adjustments need to be made in the recruitment of civil servants, thus reflecting the Malaysian multi-racial composition.

National Service

Political, social and communal leaders have openly expressed concern over the dangerous trend developing in schools; where, instead of national integration, disintegration seems to be gaining prominence. It is because of this sad social environment that it is felt National Service will help to overcome the racial polarization that had gained much clout in institutions of learning. If racial polarization is not enough, there is an obvious trend to add religious flavour to one’s feeling of superiority and to dislike others belonging to different faiths.

The Government has to tackle this problem before it gets out of control. And it is understandable that this is not an easy task. Perhaps National Service may be the panacea for all the ills that are haunting our younger generation; but, it is doubtful that it could be the only cure.

Racial integration, religious tolerance and Malaysian identity should begin at homes, at kindergartens; on playgrounds, school canteens, sports, arts, music, plays and wherever possible. The catalogue is long and what has been mentioned is only a fleeting glance of the areas that may demand our attention.

Malaysians of all races must feel that they are part and parcel of this land; they must be accepted. That acceptance alone will give our youths the assurance they need. All youths must feel that they have a stake in this country; their services are needed; the country could only survive and scale greater heights through their hard work and endeavour. Malaysians have no choice but to recognise the fact that no one should be left out.

Many stories are currently in circulation that the compulsory National Service is not compulsory. They will be chosen through the computer. The National Service we are familiar with and that we know of and that we are hearing of seem to be poles apart. And it is a kind of lottery; the only difference being in this lottery, some or many will hope that their names do not prop up.

It is hoped that the National Service will not turn out to be a National Picnic nor end up like Rukun Tetangga. It should be applicable to all Malaysian youths and National Service should be used to help promote national integration. It would not be too much if a plea is made that National Service should be secular. Do not introduce religion into it.

Our Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi is on record calling Malaysians to forget their race and religion and to think as Malaysians. I believe this is the appropriate time for us to follow Abdullah Badawi and think like Malaysians, leaving race and religion at home and make the country a beautiful home.