EVERY time unpleasant episodes such as those recent cases of arson and desecration of places of worship happened in Peninsular Malaysia, I would begin to think of how blessed we in Sarawak are.I know I have written about religious tolerance and harmony many times in this column, but this is a timely reminder again in the light of what has been happening in the country these past two weeks.
Many of us are sad, disappointed and perhaps, even angry, at the spate of what I would describe as ‘intolerable incidents’ occurring at our churches, temples and mosques in the peninsula.
I refrain from using the word ‘attack’ because that would be sensationalising the matter, which we now know is the work of only a few irresponsible people.
The press must not give space to those few bigots and idiots to glorify themselves. At times, I think foreign wire services have gone overboard by describing the work of a few as ‘attacks’ on our houses of worship. It is as if an army of rebels is out there desecrating our religious institutions. But we know that is not so.
I hope that the media in Sarawak will downplay such incidents, so as not to unnecessarily alarm peace-loving Sarawakians. Secondly, I feel that what has happened over in the peninsula will not likely occur in Sarawak because our religious values and moral virtues remain intact.
As a Sarawakian, I can proudly claim (as I have done so previously) that religious tolerance and racial harmony are at its best here while I cannot say the same for the other side of the South China Sea.
Over in the peninsula, sometimes I get the feeling that some politicians there seem to know God better than God Himself by the way they argue and debate over religion. At worst for us in Sarawak, our politicians only argue over petty matters such as party posts. We can all have a good laugh at how silly some of our politicians are.
Seriously, at times like these, it is prudent for us to jealously guard what we have in Sarawak. Let us not take for granted that the values and virtues we have carefully nurtured over the past few decades will remain if we do not work to preserve them.
Looking at the nation as a whole, isn’t it worrying that even after five decades of independence, we still wrestle with the problem of race and religion? Our life is one of constant vigilance against the dangers of our common enemy of hate.
The arson incidents in various places of worship and other similar episodes have been tragic. They have jolted us again. Why did they happen?
Perhaps we were not sensitive enough to each other, perhaps we said the wrong things, or perhaps we erred in our judgement of the issue at hand. And worst of all, did we take things too much for granted?
These are questions which we must all answer – from our top political leaders down to ordinary folks like you and me.
In the days and weeks ahead, we should be able to find the answers. Those responsible for the acts of desecration should be able to help us find the truth.
Here, the police have a major role to play. They must be thorough in their investigations. Their job is not merely to solve such heinous acts but to help prevent them from happening again. These are not ordinary crimes. These are acts of religious desecration – something which should be alien in this nation of varied religious faiths. If left unchecked, they could tear apart the very fabric that binds this nation.
So we must find out why those responsible did what they did. Did they do it on their own accord? Did some groups ask them to carry out the tasks? If so, why did they do it? What aroused their anger?
These are answers which we need urgently. And so far, the police seem to have acted swiftly on the matter. The formation of a special taskforce to probe the incidents shows their seriousness in getting to the bottom of the matter. We wish the police well in their work.
Nonetheless, we must continue to remind our security personnel to be relentless in bringing these dangerous people to book. Their priority should be in tracking down these scoundrels so that they can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law before they attempt to do more damage.
However, while there is still anger and frustration, happily there has also been much restraint and an innate desire among the majority of Malaysians for peace rather than conflict.
In our desolation and desperation, we seek refuge in God. We seek and intercede that He would not forsake us, to walk with us and lead us on the path of forgiveness, righteousness, justice, fair play and unity.
It has been a sad time for Malaysia but it’s a great consolation to know that most Malaysians do not think and act like those cowardly arsonists.
Today, it is more important than ever to remind ourselves that we, Malaysians (whether we live in Sabah, Sarawak or the peninsula), are bound to one another.
We must believe that we must be a family of Malaysia. We must forgive each other, redeem each other, regroup and move on.
Even in our ‘fractured’ state, all of us count and fit somewhere. We have proven that we can survive without each other. But we have not proven that we can win and make progress without each other. We must come together.
We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. We must find new ways to speak for peace, justice, fair play and unity in our nation.
Let this be the moment that we stop saying ‘tomorrow’. Let us look beyond the outrage and tackle the problem at its roots. The time has come to heal the intolerance, anger and rancour cleaving Malaysia.
At this juncture, I must salute the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat youth movements for coming together this week in a rare show of unity to urge ‘young leaders to put aside differences’ to defend the nation’s harmony.
In jointly condemning the recent wild boar head incident, the two youth wings said: “We are of the position that this issue goes beyond religion, politics and race. When there is a threat to Malaysian unity and identity, the young leaders are willing to put aside political difference to defend the harmony of our country”.
Well done.
Now, we must all join in one common effort without remorse or recrimination, without anger and rancour to find a common path which will lead us to common good, harmony and prosperity for all.
It’s time for all Malaysians to seriously act and think 1Malaysia. Let 1Malaysia not be a mere slogan but a genuine and honest desire to put things right for this nation again.
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