I AM glad that generally the people have reacted warmly to the 1Malaysia concept espoused by the prime minister.

This is a good beginning and it augurs well for the future of this nation.

As a citizen, my understanding of the eight values of this concept is that it is an endeavour to attain a united, successful and peaceful nation by creating a feeling of oneness among the people.

In a nutshell, it means that all Malaysians feel, think and act as one.

But how are we going to achieve these ideals if political parties and non-governmental organisations continue to focus only on the aspirations and needs of their individual communities?

They demand more vernacular schools instead of a collective effort to enhance a single national school system, and they fight for Public Service Department scholarships for their own students knowing very well that high achievers of other races have few other avenues available to them because of their community’s economic background.

They protest for better representation in the civil service instead of encouraging their lot to join the public sector, and they ask for special officers who are conversant in their specific mother tongue in government departments instead of encouraging their community to embrace the national language.

They want roads signs to be in their own language instead of the official language of the land, and they complain of being marginalised, sidelined and left behind and blame everybody else for their troubles and woes.

Obviously, they fail to understand the true spirit of 1Malaysia and are emboldened to champion their communal causes because of the openness of the present government.

I am worried that if this trend continues, there will be no end to the claims and counter- claims and demands because the other communities, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, would also like to express their discontent on many issues, including the lack of business cooperation, blocked business opportunities and equitable distribution of wealth among the races.

It would be very unfortunate if the masses were to be influenced by these chauvinistic approaches and insist on viewing everything from their own racial perspective and refuse to make the necessary changes or sacrifices.

If this happens, then I am afraid that this new endeavour by the prime minister will be an exercise in futility. The good intentions of the concept may never see the light of day.

Every Malaysian should, therefore, look at the big picture and give priority to national interest, instead of harping on issues that are counter-productive to racial integration.

Since we are still grappling with racial integration issues even though we have been independent for almost 52 years now, a concerted effort should be undertaken to arrest the situation.

We have no alternative but to consolidate our efforts, and instead of proclaiming our differences we should agree on some common ground, especially in crucial areas such as language and education.

For the benefit of future generations, we must decide for uniformity on these issues.

It is, therefore, incumbent on us to look to our history and take cognisance of our harmonious and glorious past.

We became what we are today because of the happenings of yore. We ignore this at our own peril.

Every citizen should be reminded of all the sacrifices made in the past.

By understanding our history, we will be able to appreciate the reasons for our existence and avoid taking dubious actions that might result in further racial polarisation.

We should also encourage our children to learn, understand and converse in the national language and mix freely with all races.

What better way to achieve this than to introduce a single education system? This is the answer to our present predicament.

This should have been the launching pad of the 1Malaysia concept.

ZAMRI MAHMUD, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – May 29, 2009