Ominous Signal For Malaysia

The election of Barack Obama to the office of the President of the United States of America is an ominous signal for Malaysia, especially for the small group of racist supremacy extremists who still exert a malevolent influence on Malaysian society. That the most powerful country in the world has now freed its society from the shackles of racial divisiveness and inequality that even a coloured man can become the commander-in-chief must now send ripples of apprehension coursing through Putrajaya. It is therefore the right time now to reassess the situation in Malaysia, and for one more time, hopefully the last time, try to summon the courage and do away with all the outdated racist policies that have hobbled the nation for over half a century. There must be no turning back. All unneeded barriers must go. Malaysia must consider itself fortunate in that its minority peoples are willing to ignore small or indirect forms of racial imbalances or inequalities and accept them, reluctantly, if necessary, as the leftover baggages of history. Think of other locations where the resident minorities have not been so careful about history or have preferred to fight with the gun or the knife for equal rights, the lack of it perceived or otherwise. Think of Fiji, Ceylon, Kenya and many other locations. The government of Malaysia must now decide if it can summon the political courage to silence all the religious and race supremacist bigots and rabble rousers wherever and whenever they raise their ugly voices. This cannot be avoided any more in view of the momentous change in the US presidential election of 2008. The government must stop promoting race awareness among the people and cease the usage of expressions that serve to magnify or draw attention to the differences that exist in the larger community. The government must emphasise individual development and advancement instead of promoting them on a race-against-race basis. The government now cannot keep silent anymore whenever a loose cannon starts to make racially-tinged statements that either belittle common sense or the universal rights of individuals. Racial background of a person does not strip him or her of his or her universal rights. The future is shaped by what is being done now in the present. If the government continues to ignore the signal to change, history will one day consign Malaysia's ruling elite to the laughing bins of historical garbage. The gathering clouds can be evaded no more. Eventually it must rain. The many longstanding discriminations and injustices must go.