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Deepavali Message

by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Petaling Jaya , Sunday): Next year sees the start of the Ninth Malaysia Plan and the mid-point of the 30-year Vision 2020 to create a Bangsa Malaysia in a fully-developed Malaysia.

Are we reaching both goals?

The answers are a double negative – highlighted by the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians into the new underclass in the national politico-socio-economic-corporate landscape, and compounded by the parliamentary scandal last week where Malaysian Indians were insulted with the derogatory term “keling” in the highest legislative chamber and political forum of the land.

If Malaysia, celebrating our half-century of nationhood in 2007, has made substantial progress in the creation of a Bangsa Malaysia, there should not only be a progressive and tangible cessation in racial discrimination and polarization but a greater consensus that any derogation against any Malaysian community, whether in word or deed, is equally derogatory and offensive to all other communities and the nation of overarching Malaysian citizenship.

Unfortunately, the recent parliamentary scandal precipitated by the recalcitrant and unrepentant Barisan Nasional MP for Jerai had been regarded as a problem merely of the Indian community and the Opposition, when it should be regarded as a problem for all communities, whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban and all political parties, whether Barisan Nasional parties individually and collectively or the Opposition.

Half-a-century after independent nationhood in 1957, we are still very distant from the goal of the Malaysianisation of the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans in the country, or there would be no recurrence of the parliamentary scandal over the derogatory term “keling” in 1998 by the same MP last week.

It behoves all Malaysians, while celebrating or partaking in the celebration of Deepavali, to ponder how to accelerate the process of Malaysianisation of all citizens until it is not just the Indians, but the Chinese, Malays, Kadazans and Ibans who will also find the term “keling” derogatory not only to the Malaysian Indians but to all communities.

(30/10/2005)