It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
– Maya Angelou, American poet
Diversity is a much-used word.
Those with good intentions, use it for noble purposes, such as inclusivity. Some use it for ‘window dressing’, to show as if they practise it — tokenism. Yet, even worse, others exploit it for their own ends, to divide and rule.
So, what does it mean? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements … the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organisation”.
The word “diversity” is multi-faceted and refers to race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical abilities, age, religious beliefs, political beliefs and numerous other ideologies.
Why is the acceptance of diversity important for Malaysia?
Malaysia is unique and there are few other countries with our diversity of race, culture and religion.
It is extremely important to promote diversity by valuing all peoples and communities as with constant hate and bigotry being spewed, social and economic instability is inevitable.
In an era when globalisation and attracting investments on a sustainable basis is the key to prosperity, foreign investors and even domestic investors will stay away.
Such instability could continue to hold back the development of the more stable regions of Malaysia. This in turn might lead to sentiments among the stable regions that they would prosper better and faster without being anchored to outmoded mentalities.
The acceptance of diversity creates cooperative and caring communities that can and will draw upon the work ethic and intellectual strength of its collective peoples in a climate of mutual respect, oneness and nationhood.
A simple example, just look at our much-talked about cuisines; indeed, such a vast variety from virtually all corners of the world. To top it off, the synergies of our delicious cuisines have evolved into a whole range of new fusion foods.
Such type of synergies produces opportunities and
innovative solutions from its entire people leading to a success-oriented society rather than a myopic society that will stall eventually in a quagmire.
But what is holding us back from this utopia?
Well, to put it plainly, the lopsided quota systems and restrictions related to education, employment and business is not exactly the epitome of inclusivity and diversity-friendly, freezing some communities out. They could have contributed to lifting the nation by leaps and bounds.
The Sarawak government’s acceptance of the Chinese school’s Unified Examination Certificate as a qualification and English as one of its official language makes it unique. Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari’s strong support of Unifor is a prime example of inclusivity. We fare much better on the diversity front.
But there is still room for improvement even here. Some Malayan policies that have seeped into Sarawak ought to be exorcised.
I have deliberately chosen to avoid referring to a specific race or religion. This is not out of fear or any form of appeasement. That is just not in my personal, racial or religious DNA, or so I would like to think. The inferences of course are there and therefore sufficient.
It is just that the approach is to focus to be on the points, the issues and concepts.
It is important that more Malaysians move from tolerance to understanding and thereafter crystallising our attitudes with acceptance. Once acceptance is established in all our institutions (private, government or social) we would have formed a solid foundation that future potential tyrants and bigots would find hard to shake.
So to the question: Is there a place for diversity in Malaysia?
Well, if the answer is based on the current political trends and the ingrained habit of politicising religion for self-gain and as a platform politically to polarise people and exploit their unfounded fears and prejudices, then the answer would be: No!
However, many Malaysians have on an individual basis endeavoured to understand and accept each other racially, culturally and respect each other’s religious beliefs. It is this acceptance that has been able to keep our nation resilient and together, despite all attempts to divide it.
In this case, the answer is a resounding YES!
Being an optimist, I would say the people will ultimately win.
I would like to end with a quote from President Barack Hussein Obama: “Countries that divide themselves on racial or religious lines do not succeed.”
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
