Reading through an article in Star dated Feb 10, 2012, gives us an idea of what is going on in Malaysia currently. This is about the relationship between the various races in Malaysia. It is written by Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.
He listed all the elements that he thinks are antagonising unity among the races in Malaysia. Then he says, “All the attitudes expressed are the main factors that make our level of unity in a state of just ‘enough to eat’.”
Unity depends on Us
He adds that everyone depending on the government to unite the country should change. That is because unity does not depend on the government alone but requires the participation of “each and every one of us Malaysians.”
“Being open is the key to successful relationships between races. Associating with people of different races does not mean that we have to sacrifice each other’s principles and religions. We should be open and that difference should not be an obstacle for us to get to know each other better.
Etos Nasional
“This open attitude, if not instilled from childhood, has been proven to make any effort to create racial unity difficult. Parents also play a big role in forming this noble attitude to their children. This is because everything that parents have will actually be passed on to the next generation,” he writes.
He also says parents need to understand that the responsibility of educating children is not limited to matters of manners, religious upbringing and also the formation of identity.
On the other hand, children should be inculcated with universal moral values such as respect for other races and religions, tolerance and mutual respect.
“All this should start at home when children are still small. We can change it. We just need to practice an open attitude first.” Can we? Do we still need to build a new Etos Nasional?
It is all about good #race relations. Not about bad #relations.
Follow our Facebook and Twitter pages
Read More News #latestmalaysia
