Random thoughts of a Malaysian citizen

12TH March 2008

To the newly elected Malaysian leaders in Government and my fellow Malaysians…..
Firstly – my sincere Congratulations on being the choice of the Malaysian people confirmed in the 12th Election. As the dust settles and work begins… my hope, like that of most Malaysians, is that whatever political party you belong to – that you will live up to the trust of your electorate – and form a just and effective government keeping the interests of ALL MALAYSIANS at heart.
In the last few days, I have been by the growing sense of possibility that finally, finally, Malaysians would have a chance to see true democratic representation - where every person is equal in the eyes of the law – and the poor, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation - have access to basic amenities and opportunities to improve their livelihood.

It is about time – though 50 years is a short time in the life of nation - we owe it to ourselves, and our rich heritage from all the different communities – that we build on the best of each of us – so that we may share the benefits with all of us.
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17th March 2008

On Being Malaysian: Then & Now

In the official documentary language of Malaysia, I belong to a group classified as DLL… i.e. Dan Lain-Lain. To this unidentifiable Limbo belong people of mixed parentage and racial composition who do not quite fit easily into the status quo of Malay- Chinese – Indian, the 3 major communities in Malaysia. We are a hodge podge of Eurasians, Singhalese, Pakistanis, Thai, who may or may not have ties with the country of origin.
For myself, and probably most other Portugese Eurasians from Melaka – I can safely say that we have long lost our affective links to Portugal – and consider Malaysia our home country for all intents and purposes. Our lives and history and development as a community is inextricably linked with the development of Malaysia, its colonial past and post-WWII developments.

Since then – as a very small minority in a society that was heavily communal in decision-making and development, we have survived by learning how to adapt and adjust. Some of our community lived and continue to live on the fringes of Malaysian society – holding on to a culture and lifestyle that only comes alive on traditional feastdays and the occasional tourist visit. Others of us have had to make a decision – to compete with the larger communal groups – taking on whatever role comes easiest, blending like chameleons in situations that require us to take a stand or cling to a larger group identity. Others yet, took the other route and chose to migrate to totally new countries – especially after 1969, realising that in a situation where communal politics held sway – our minuscule minority would get lost in the shuffle.

For those of us who now remain as Malaysians – and perhaps for many other Malaysian minorities, especially in the Peninuslar, the recent developments in the political arena are like a breath of fresh air. At last – people are speaking of a Malaysian nation. Finally – there is a hope that our future and those of our children, will not be determined by the colour of our skin, our names, race or religious affiliation. At last, we can hope that all of us may stand equally before the law, as citizens of Malaysia, with equal rights as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. I am delighted that this has happened now – in my time, whilst I can still appreciate the wonder of the birth of a new democracy.
My heartfelt thanks to ALL our political leaders, past and present – for bringing us to this day. My wish is that now we are here, that our elected leaders may have enough wisdom and maturity to work together to heal, rebuild and renew our Social Contract. We have a wonderfully blessed nation – resource rich and gifted with the strengths of our various different cultural traditions.

Let’s show the world what we can do together!