Keluarga Malaysia and National Unity?

The National Unity Ministry is coming up with the National Unity Action Plan soon. The new Prime Minister launched the Malaysian Family concept and everyone in the ruling coalition jumped straight into the bandwagon. The National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique is doing everything she can to grab every possible opportunity to keep her ministry and herself relevant to the premier’s new concept.

An overall blueprint plan will include the Perpaduan Kindergarten Early Childhood Education Plan 2021-2030, the Rukun Tetangga Community Leadership Empowerment Plan 2021-2030 and the Keluarga Malaysia Unity Plan. The ministry is also creating the Kelab Rukun Negara modules in schools and the Rukun Negara Secretariat at the university level to instil the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia. 

The plans look good on paper but effect minimal changes on the rising polarisation on multi-racial Malaysia, which was largely caused by politicians and their operatives across the country over the last 64 years. Everyone who has lived in Malaysia for the last 30-40 years would know plans are just made to create a feel-good feeling temporarily.

Non-Malays and Non-Muslims sometimes face the words “penumpang” and “pendatang”. Then a small number of Islamic religious speakers make derogatory statements against minorities. The latest is by Shakir Nasoha. And he is still free. 

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) since early 2021 allowed only Muslims to use the word Tuhan (with a capital T) in their Malay language publications. Non-Malay writers were told to use the word tuhan (with a small t) instead. Earlier it was the “A” word. So, what’s the Rukun Negara and National Anthem all about? 

Fancy slogans do not bring us together as one nation. All the Government has to do is to treat every Malaysian equally, apply the laws of the land without fear and favour. That itself will do, without having to waste time and money on silly concepts. Or, is the Malaysian Family another way of explaining the content of George Orwell’s satire entitled ‘Animal Farm’? ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’?

 

Source: http://www.jmm.gov.my

Reference

Malaysian Family? “Get real, cheap slogans won’t solve rising polarisation”, G Vinod, Focus Malaysia, 16 October 2021

Comment: Of Halimah and national unity, Zaid Ibrahim, Oct 17, 2021 (www.malaysiakini.com)