FEELING POLITICAL

I was in Temerloh, Pahang yesterday, just passing by. It’s the small town where I was born, more than half a century ago.

I love to watch the town grow day by day. Stopped by at the small mosque for zohor prayers, and saw buffaloes grazing on the grass just beside the mosque.

Drove later to town for an ikan patin meal , and watched with awe development of commercial projects, and rows of new shop-lots coming up in middle of the town.

But strangely, today I'm feeling a bit political, just a wee bit though, being always apolitical, the winning stance in life and death.

So I'll just pen something and just let it go for whatever its worth. Even if it’s only two sen. Just to let it get off my mind.

Well it’s about an issue widely published in the country’s newspapers recently.

I’m talking about the two Malay words "Bangsa Malaysia".

So, now I have questions.

* Will Bangsa Malaysia be a reality?

* Can we really move or shove ourselves towards that ideal direction with perfect impunity from social, cultural and religious consequences?

* But most importantly, the end result - does it make for a peaceful, harmonious, prosperous Malaysia?

I don’t know the answers, and I don’t profess to know where to look for the answers.

But from what was published, I read aplenty a mish-mash of ideas and suggestions, and mostly provocations of personal thoughts bordering on racism.

My take on this issue?

Well, it’s great to start from the beginning, and start defining. Not definition of the concept, because I think that’s for the polticians, but of the two words.

Bangsa Malaysia literally means (I think) "Malaysian race", a different ethnic being from what we have now -- Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, etc. It’s a mixture or a cross-breed of the various races making up the citizens of the country.

To really actualize the concept and reality of a whole new set and generation of ethnic beings called "Bangsa Malaysia", it goes without saying that it will naturally has to be effected through none other then the mechanism of progeny and evolution.

And I think this will take a long, long time, even if we start now. It's a sort of creation of a sub-race resembling maybe the phenomena of the Babas of Malacca and the Chitties of Penang.

But will that solve our problem?

No, because now that there is a Bangsa Malaysia, then there are questions arising from the consequences of cross-breeding: -

* What is the official religion of Bangsa Malaysia?

* What is the culture of Bangsa Malaysia?

* Will it be just another of those mish-mash mixture of religion and culture? A rojak race?

I don’t know about other religion, but Islam cannot change. Once a Muslim, you cannot change religion. It’s forever, unchangeable. So now, must all Bangsa Malaysia be Muslims?

Our YAB Deputy Prime Minister said that Bangsa Malaysia is just a state of mind. I agree fully.

I take that to also mean that it is not a unique cross-breed race, but a multi-racial breed forming the Malaysian society, acting, behaving, and producing collective good for the country, thinking Malaysian in whatever they do, and benefiting all and sundry.

Blessed are those who help others and in turn being helped themselves and in the final analysis everyone and all races are protected, and in fact enhanced in all aspects, economically, culturally and socially.

What’s more important than those things? Meat-loaves and roti canai, you say? Ha Ha.

Well, let’s be serious.

So, where does this take me then?

My friends, let me say this. I already see a Bangsa Malaysia, today and everyday.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we go to the poll stations and vote those we think are best suited for running the country, whatever their race.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we stand together and cheer our sportsmen and the country during international games and tournaments, when we share their triumphs and victories, and when we share together their grieve and sadness when they fail or falter.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we understand each other’s culture and respect them fully. And when we visit, participate and enjoy all religious festivals and cultural celebrations, together, without prejudice.

And when we love this land of ours in the company of many others, with the knowledge that the depth, spread and varieties of cultures and religions invariably spice up, and add value to, our daily lives.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we wake up each morning and we know we have food on the table and we are thankful that we live in a harmonious and prosperous land, not somewhere in a melting pot of hunger and internal strifes.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we see the sunrise in the east and sunset in the west, and .. (or, err, is it the other way round?)

Ahhh, a sure sign that I should stop babbling on this, especially when I forget which direction the sun sets... ummm ..

So fellow Malaysians, Bangsa Malaysia is already here. It defies definition or ever really needs defining.

An ethnic being or race will always remain one forever.

Someone said that God made man white, yellow, malay, red and black. That's bulls-eye to me. Right on target. Any cross-breeding will definitely still stay within that color spectrum.

Collectively we are and have been a Bangsa Malaysia in mind, thought and spirit, and most of all, in our actions.

And yes, my verbose musings, murmurings and ramblings on this complicated issue won’t ever find the solutions and answers even until the sun sets and rises many times over (umm...still, is it west or east?).

Or the buffaloes in Temerloh town come home to the developed commercial shop-lots (to window-shop).

So, enjoy!