By Kamal Amzan
June 09, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 9 — Why is it so hard to have a single education system?

With all the talk about unity, certain sacrifices must be made. If a unified Malaysia cannot be fostered in this generation, we shouldn’t miss the bandwagon for the next generation.

I’ve said this before, and let me say it again. Let’s start with our divisive schools.

In order to make a single school system successful, the government must build more schools. When we have enough schools to cater for a single session, we can then begin to teach extra languages and cultural studies in the afternoon. Those who claim that the vernacular schools are built as a mean to propagate and preserve their cultures can then be permanently silenced.

Mandarin, Tamil and later on Kadazan, Iban, Bidayuh language lessons, cultural dances, religious studies can then be taught to wanting children in the afternoon, regardless of race and religion, by qualified teachers in the Education Ministry.

Don’t you think this will bring us all together, and at the same time tap the advantages of living in such a colourful, culturally rich country? Don’t you think our children will be the world’s envy for being able to speak, understand, tolerate and embrace and live in such diversity?

I think so.

And should the Education Ministry muster the strength to carry out such a reform, they must consciously allocate students and teachers in each school to ensure a balance, well proportionate representation of society. Apart from that, they must have the will and courage to oppose and deter bigotry in all forms. Administrators, teaching staff or students who are caught inciting racism must be dealt and punished severely to serve as a reminder, and then publicised as a deterrent to the rest.

Do we have any good reason to not have such an education system? Anyone?

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration came up with the idea of a vision school, multiple ethnic schools in a single compound, sharing amenities i.e. football field, a hall and a canteen, but this was opposed by some chauvinistic NGOs who in my opinion have no business in multiracial Malaysia.

The Vision School was a good step forward, but the government lacked the will or b*lls to implement it. The government bowed down to myopic demands, and has not proposed anything similar since despite the 1 Malaysia hullabaloo.

Uniting a country takes more than just mere slogans. It takes more than just building shopping malls overseas and labelling buses and trains declaring the superficial reality of a united Malaysia.

It needs sacrifices by all segments of society. The Malays must be prepared to lose the MRSMs, the Chinese their SRJKCs, and the Indians SRJKTs. We must all lose for our children to win, and the nation to prosper and build on our differences instead of antagonising each other.

The government, the opposition and respective NGOs should sit down and draw lines that they should toe, and members do not cross at all cost. Those who do, well, we have ISA don’t we? Those who incite disunity and hatred should be treated as traitors to the nation and dealt with accordingly.

It takes guts, courage and political will to carry such a reform. We need visionary leaders and not those who cannot see past skin colour to lead this country. They need to make tough, painful, unpopular but necessary decisions in the name of national interest, instead of opting for popular political decisions that bring temporary happiness to a very selected, bigoted few.

Believe it or not ladies and gentlemen, there is no way we can advance this nation, grow its economy, significantly prosper and impact on the world stage without unity, no matter what the politicians say.

Let’s start with our children who were born without prejudice, and colour blind towards all mankind.

Together, we can chart a new beginning for a better Malaysia.

I offer no apology for saying all this and more.