Monkey leaps in

After a tumultuous Year of the Goat, Chinese everywhere ushered in the Year of the Monkey with high hopes that the problems of last year will be forgotten and that we can all look forward to a better tomorrow

PETALING JAYA: There should be more concrete measures to strengthen national integration and unity among the people, said Yayasan 1Malaysia chairman Dr Chandra Muzaffar.

He said although Malaysians practised muhibah-style activities such as open houses during festive periods, these did not have a major or permanent impact on national integration.

“I think we have yet to achieve the feeling of a strong oneness between the communities. We need policies that reflect the spirit of the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara that will be implemented fairly,” he said when contacted.

He was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s Chinese New Year message which focused on the need to recognise all the different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds which have played an important role in building the country.

Dr Chandra said following guidelines such as the Federal Constitution, Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 will help unite the people as these were “inclusive guidelines”.

“On one side, we have a particular community which feels being victimised and has developed a victim hood psychology while we also have another group that has a narrow interpretation of identity.

“By following such guidelines, we will be able to tackle the problem directly,” he said.

Motivator and social activist Anas Zubedy said the country needed to go beyond race and focus on performance and deliverables.

“We cannot just focus on race but on all individuals who add value to the country on a daily basis.

“For instance, the cendol seller who quenches our thirst, the sweeper who keeps the street clean, the banker who gives out loans and the teacher who shares lessons with love.

“Anyone who adds value, hard work and contributes to the country must be recognised in the past, present and future,” he said.