Minister for Information Communication and Culture Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim announced yesterday that the 53rd National Day theme from August 1 to September 16 is “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation”.
At present the 1Malaysia logo has flooded the country but it does not add one iota to the nation-building process.
Adding one sentence “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” to the ubiquitous 1Malaysia logo also does not make any meaningful contribution to the nation-building process.
If the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is serious about the 1Malaysia policy – with the officially-stated objective to create a Malaysia where every Malaysian regards himself or herself as Malaysian first and race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic group second, the government must go beyond slogan, logo and other publicity stunts. As a first step, it should introduce a 1Malaysia pledge on the occasion of the 53rd National Day celebrations from August 1 to September 16 for all participants to pledge to become “Malaysian first and race, religion, region or group second”.
This 1Malaysia pledge to be “Malaysian first and race, religion, region or group second” should be officially endorsed by the Cabinet and Parliament, and should be extended to the schools, universities both public and private, as well to 1.2 million civil servants.
If Ministers, MPs and civil servants are not prepared to set an example of striving to be “Malaysian first and race, religion, region or group second”, and if the schools and universities do not actively promote this 1Malaysia pledge, then the 1Malaysia mantra has not much meaning beyond the slogan, logo and publicity stunt stages.
This is a test as to whether the National Day theme of “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” is going to be a meaningful or meaningless exercise.