Long road to integration

INTEGRATION has been elusive since we achieved independence some 60 years ago although our founding fathers laid out the blueprint to unite the various races in this country who are separated by race, language, religion, occupation and cultural backgrounds.

Integrative sentiments were evident when the three main races in Peninsular Malaysia forged an alliance and understanding among themselves to negotiate and petition the British government for independence.

As a prerequisite for independence and towards achieving an integrated society, a social contract was drawn up giving citizenship to Chinese and Indians, establishing Malay rights and Malay reserve lands, recognising Islam as the official religion of the nation and freedom of worship for all other religions. In addition, our founding fathers embarked on social re-engineering to ensure the equitable distribution of the nation’s wealth and opportunities.

They realised early on that for integration to succeed, the different races must be welded through a common education system, a common language and shared cultural, commercial and social experiences. This would allow the people to interact with each other through learning, play and work.

Education is a crucial part in the integrative process to mould young minds into a cohesive whole by developing a common understanding and reciprocal respect. It was feasible in the English language medium schools where children of various races learnt, played together and conversed in English.

But after Malay became the medium of instruction in national schools, Chinese and Indian parents began sending their children to their respective vernacular schools. The result was racial polarisation in the education system with Chinese parents sending their children to Chinese schools, Indians to Tamil schools and Malay students dominating in national schools. Thus, from day one, the children are being segregated, negating the efforts at integration. As a consequence of this multi-stream education system, the chasm between the races became bigger. Such a racially isolated upbringing leads to polarisation in other spheres of life, and very much so at the tertiary level.

Occupational distribution is racially biased with Malays dominating in the public sector while the Chinese and Indians are in the private, corporate and professional sectors. Admittedly, Malays are now in the latter as well.

There is also, in general, a racial bias demographically with the urban and upscale areas inhabited by Chinese and some Indians while most of the Malays are in the rural areas and Felda enclaves. In short, there is minimal interaction in living and working space.

Another major factor that encourages segregation is the race-based political landscape with each party representing the interests of its ethnic enclave. In fact, there is more than one party vying for the support of the main races. There are three main political parties representing the Malays, likewise the Chinese and Indians. It is a free-for-all in Sabah and Sarawak, and even the so-called multiracial political parties are dominated by one racial group.

Such dispersal of political parties does not encourage integration, and grouping of such parties under a coalition gives only a superficial semblance of unity. It is not a common political ideology or aspiration that binds them to a cause but rather the need to be in power.

Such differences in political ideology have brought about a bigoted attitude and intolerance to others who do not subscribe to their beliefs. Bigotry is a hindrance to racial integration. Religious bigotry has caused dissension not only among the races but also within the race, especially the Malay-Muslim community.

Then there is the rearing of provincial sentiments in Sabah and Sarawak being stoked by political opportunism and adventurism. This welling of sentiments undermines government efforts at integrating east and west Malaysia.

There is a serious need to address these issues to prevent further disintegration. As a start, we should look at the tenets of the Rukunegara as a basis of unity and integration because they could foster mutual respect and understanding among the various communities.

Then there is a need to downplay and minimise the racial tensions and bigotry in our political engagements and expressions, and eliminate discrimination by treating all Malaysians as sons and daughters of the soil.

Patriotic sentiments would emerge through the implementation of these measures, which would lead to a lasting integration of the mind and body of Malaysians.