TAWAU: Former chief minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh has suggested there is a need for Malaysia to go back to its original laws and policies in combating racial feelings and division among the people and to make the country once and for all cohesive.
He said the country must apply all its laws and policies sincerely and honestly.
Racial composition in the administration, in the police, in the military and most importantly in the economic field must be fair and just, Harris said here yesterday.
Harris pointed out that presently it was noticeable that there is clear racial imbalance; the administration, the police and the army were controlled by a single race, and on the other hand the economy is being controlled by another race.
“It is admitted that presently everybody is still laughing, but in the next 30 to 50 years when the population reaches 50 million, is a different story.
“By then everything is not right and not balance and will be out of control. And here, history will repeat itself as in many countries, especially Africa,” he cautioned during the get-together gathering for Lions Group that was held at Balung.
According to Harris, a history in whatever form which was created in the past, is the foundation for the future generations to move forward.
However, he said regrettably, Malaysians seem to ignore history, and rightly so, because of the changing circumstances.
“How many are they; leaders, ordinary people follow that the history began in 1963. If they acknowledged the past, they might not raise past issue which had been settled from time to time,” he added.
Malaysia, said Harris, also seemed to be on the reverse tracks as far as the progress on its multi-racial population unity.
When Malaysia was formed in 1963, the people of various races were united to build a country they inherited from the British.
Everybody was friendly and there were also no talks on racial claims for this and that, and this condition prevailed for many many years.
“Today everyday we hear and read demand for racial equality. This shows that Malaysia is not united.
“This has also prompted the present Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) to coin a new slogan known as 1 Malaysia – 1 Malaysia Clinic, 1 Malaysia Kedai Rakyat and so on.
“All these creations conclusively prove that Malaysia’s racial population is getting apart everyday,” he said, adding that in order to combat racial feelings and division, Malaysia must go back to its original platform.