Having the right conversations?

IF YOU were a fussy eater or have a selective eater in the family, you’d relate to the various cohesive methods from the aeroplane to the guilt ridden, invisible finger wagging statement “there are so many starving children in the world”. Sound familiar? Sadly, it does not solve the issues behind selective eating but it also shuts them up by pointing out there are so many bigger problems in life and their feelings don’t matter.

This guilt slugging carries on throughout life.

The adult version of it comes in the form of statements like “that’s so first world”. Taking the focus away from the issue making one feel either blessed and grateful or down in the dumps thinking: all the bad things happening in the world do not compare with your problems.

The politicians do it so well, too. Let’s just throw something bigger in the mix and lose the original point of argument. It’s also the perfect way of winning the argument. When a party loses an election, let’s blame it on minorities being ungrateful stirring the hornets nest of prejudice and fear mongering. That’s a bigger issue taking away from the fact that the party failed the people and that’s why the election outcome was not favourable. So instead of focusing on checking themselves, the original point of the argument is lost in the midst of a bigger issue and twisted to the rhetoric that the minorities are the problem. When education reform is called for, it becomes a racial issue not one of building world-class education system. Again losing focus. When corruption is exposed, instead of investigating the claims, it becomes an issue of loyalty based on race and religion, that follows the rational of silencing whistle blowers with jail time in the name of national security. This is the most beloved go-to trick tactic – fear mongering.

Last week, on the heels of Trump’s statement when he said if he won the US presidential election, he would consider requiring Muslim-Americans to register with a US government database.

He also said that he would require that there be special identification cards that note their faith. The world got angry. Instead of addressing the root issue.

On the other side of the world and much closer to home, oil-rich Brunei has banned celebrating Christmas to the extent that even sending greetings and wearing a Santa hat will get you in big trouble. Then, in our own country, an anti-Christian colloquium was held again.

Religious tension is high around the world not just Malaysia, the battles are just aimed at different religions. But instead of having an open discussion about it, we are told to look at how the malls are so festively decorated during this time of year as proof that there is no oppression. Yet, the background tensions are so strong not just between the majority and minority, but also within the different social classes and fractions of the majority.

Much ink has been spilled about religious freedom in Malaysia. When a Malay group called for a review of Islamic laws as they are against criminalising “personal sins”, the spokesperson is publicly threatened with rape and murder.

Instead of arresting those who threatened her, she is investigated under the infamous sedition act and many moons later after some outcry, there is a warrant for the perpetrators who publicly threatened her and defended their right to do so. How did we get to this low?

If you are equally as baffled about the state of the nation, you should be. There are a few sections of society doing a lot for racial and religious harmony, conversely there are far more carrying sticks and breaking down such efforts. Some with literal sticks as witnessed this week in Kotaraya.

To me, this is a worrying trend. How can we have these conversations in an open mature manner, not just at the level of the academics and elites, but with everyday Malaysians and in all our languages so that is accessible?

If a sizeable swath of the population from every side is feeling marginalised and unable to voice their frustrations then what will this country come to? Our biggest asset is multiculturalism and yet it is used as our greatest downfall against us and against our country and for what? Or rather for whom or what political party?

Do we need a “never again” situation to realise that it is time we come together as Malaysians to have these conversations. The reason we are witnessing this is because we did not take the time, or effort to have these conversations among ourselves a long, long time ago – so maybe we ought to now.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com