THE Sunday Times of Aug 25, 1957 ran this editorial, in part:

“Federation police are to round up known evil-doers in and around Kuala Lumpur to prevent trouble during the Merdeka celebrations. Political leaders are touring the states on goodwill missions to foster inter-racial harmony on the attainment of independence, and are giving the people some straight-from-the-shoulder advice.

“They have to do this because there are somewhere in the background plotters of evil — men who hope to reap a rich reward out of civil commotion, who whisper there will be pickings for everybody when the British go. Next time you hear one of these evil whispers, ask the whisperer where he got his story from and confute him.

“Track down the slime of racial enmity to its source. Hand him over to the police as a disturber of the peace, and let him be put away with the other known criminals who might spoil a day of rejoicing. They will spurn him for he is a greater criminal than they are.”

I was 20 years old then (in 1957), still studying and in complete harmony with my fellow students of various races in the classroom and on the playing field.

Racial problems have been with us since before independence. But for the outburst on May 13, 1969, the problems have remained endemic for most of the time. Although the authorities are doing their best for racial integration, we still hear “whispers” of discontentment and grouses on many aspects of parity and disparity of social and economic status and opportunities among the various races.

This being the case, we need to assess how far the efforts on racial and social integration have been a success or failure.

A thorough overview of the programmes in the fields of education, civil service, armed forces, business, community services, sports and religious activities, vis-a-vis the various races, needs to be done to stop discontent from growing.

Our efforts towards racial and social integration depend on how we tackle the roots of the problem.

ABDUL AZIZ SAAD, Shah Alam

Source: NST – September 26, 2008