Malaysia - the Route to Unity

History had it that Iskandar Shah died in 1424 and he was succeeded by his grandson Rajah Tengah, who reverted to the Sri Vijaya kingly title of Seri Maharajah Muhammad Shah hence remaining the Hindu¡¯s faith. Amongst his most notable contributions were the various Hindu-orientated ceremonies and rituals within the Royal Households many of which have lasted even until these very days.

Seri Maharaja Muhammad Shah passed away in 1444; and he was succeeded with much controversies by their son Raja Ibrahim ; as a result of his marriage to a young princess from Rokan, a east coast state in Sumatra; instead of his elder brother by another marriage i.e. Raja Kassim.

The infant ruler Raja Ibrahim carried the unique half-Hindu, half-Muslim title of Seri Parameswara Dewa Shah and rule hardly one year before he was overpowered and killed by his elder brother Raja Kassim in 1445.

Raja Kassim had adopted the Muslim name of Sultan Muzaffar Shah and ruled from 1445 ¨C 1477 by which time there was no looking back on the influence of the Islam Religion on the Malay Sultanate of the Archipelago of the Malaya.

Today Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, formed with this Malay Sultanate as her backbone of sovereignty, power, unity and solidarity!

And although Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, it was enshrined within the Federal Constitution that everyone in Malaysia is free to practice religion based upon their personal faith, believes and way of life.

I personally hope that the recent controversies surrounding the Lina Joy renouncing Islam and the cessation of those pig farms in Melaka, the 600 years ancient city were not politically motivated, the least. For any political agendas thus conceived with the ulterior motive to undermined the stabilities of these living cultural melting pot society that had stood the test of time should be dealt with seriously and urgently, from within and from without. One should not be permitted to built a golden castle over others¡¯ calamities; never! Never! Never!

While being a non-Muslim, I reserved my comment on the Lina Joy¡¯s case, as a respect towards the sensitivities of the Malaysia¡¯s plural society.

However, I register my strongest protest towards the Melaka¡¯s local authorities concerned in handling, if not manipulating with such sensitive pig-farm issues. Despite personal interventions by our Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib Abdul Rajak to exercise tolerance, restrains and understandings in resolving these issues; the local authorities still went ahead with forced datelines; much to the discomforts of dismays of the Chinese communities in particular, and democracy lovers in general.

Being a Malaysian of Chinese origin, I felt so betrayed by the empty promises uttered and the seclusion - approach adopted by our so-called Chinese representation party within the government in MCA. When we voted with you; this is what we¡¯ve got in return. If we don¡¯t vote in your favour; we would be branded as anti-government. But then who¡¯s to blame but us ourselves! Why? Because as Malaysians, we¡¯ve asked for it!

Although there were anti-globalization agencies to nullify the advantages brought about by making the earth a border less world; we can¡¯t help but to acknowledge that with modern technologies and policies, men were closer then ever, culturally, ethnically, socially and economically. To have unturned the wheel of globalization would mean twice the efforts to push it faster further.

Where particularly in Malaysia, we are still harboring on racial issues where the rest of the developed world had moved far ahead with more important agendas like environmental issues already.

Bluntly, if there were any hiccups it were to be our government¡¯s over emphasis on racial and religious related issues. Worse still was that our major ruling collision in Barisan Nasional, formed with majority of component political parties championing for the various rights and privileges of each individual race. Each race-related political party was ¡®so destined¡¯ to outshine the other even within the collision. Hence, one began to wonder how peace and harmony could be preserved and upheld for the next 50 years to come; going by the current scenario.

Right from the very beginning we have fallen to the divide-and-rule tactics by whom else but ourselves and our own politicians. Henceforth until further proven on the contrary, we were left with no more choice but to seriously consider the following propositions:-

1. As per proposition by our former IGP Tan Sri Rahim Nor ¨C that all citizens be Malaysian and not according to race-based of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan etc.

2. As per Tan Sri Rahim¡¯s proposal ¨C our identity cards be done without indication of race and particularly religion; for as according to Tan Sri ¡°it¡¯s between me and my god (believe)¡±!

3. Incentivised inter-cultural marriages whereby all off springs of such marriages be accorded the automatic Malaysian citizen status with countless fringe benefits eg. free lifetime education; including universities studies; lifetime income tax exemptions; assured house ownership programmed; free medical insurance for life; pensions etc. etc.

4. All racial and religion based parties to be nullified. A good lead was that Party Barisan Nasional be formed instead of collision of UMNO, MCA, MIC etc. etc. All parties should be championing for Malaysians¡¯ rights instead of rights of a particular group or race.

By now, readers would have wondered what was the rationale of those historical evident in the 15^th century Melaka Sultanate has on the preservation of peace ad mist diversity in current Malaysian¡¯s social political culture?

Answer: - Islam must have and would always be one of the noble religions of the world to have so much followers that although at one juncture Seri Maharaja Muhammad Shah ( 1424 ¨C 1444 ) reverted back to Hinduism from his grandfather¡¯s Islam faith ( although his grandfather Parameswara was also a Hindu before he embraced Islam ); it was God-destined to the following rulers of Melaka in Sultan Muzaffar Shah onwards and today¡¯s Malaysian Sultans to embrace Islamic way of life. Have faith in (your) God because God knows his ways best!

Although being a non-Christian; I remember coming across a motivation book with captions like:-

¡®If God be for us, who can be against us?¡¯ if not mistaken from the Roman.

If anyone having doubts about his own religion in anyway; it was his lack of understanding and self believe hence transforming to fear of others not subscribing to his believes; nothing more nothing less.

My last opinion, from today onwards do study hard on your own religion before you start to blame others! blame others for renouncing or not subscribing to your believes!