I do not agree with the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who criticized the Najib administration’s 1Malaysia slogan, claiming that the concept needed further “explanation” to prevent it from interpreted differently by various races.
But Mahathir is right that Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan which he introduced after he took office in April last year had failed to unite Malaysians as a whole.
This is not because the 1Malaysia slogan is vague or Najib failed to provide an explanation or definition of what his slogan means.
An official definition of 1Malaysia was given by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap released by the government in January this year, which states:
“The goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”
The question is how many Ministers in Najib’s Cabinet endorse this definition and objective of 1Malaysia?
When the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin can publicly declare that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, without any contradiction by any of the other Cabinet Ministers from the Barisan Nasional component parties and with seeming endorsement by Najib, Malaysians are presented with the public spectacle of the Najib administration itself repudiating the very meaning and objective of 1Malaysia.
No wonder, Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah could deliver a speech entitled “We were once ‘Malaysians’” at the recent Malaysian Students Leaders’ Summit over the weekend – on the diminishing numbers of Malaysians over the decades who regard themselves as Malaysians first and last, transcending their ethnic, religious, geographical or socio-economic affinities!
The ball is in Najib’s court. Can he explain why after 16 months of his premiership and 1Malaysia slogan, Malaysians are even more divided with even the former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir declaring that he is confused and does not know the meaning of 1Malaysia?
#1 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 3:35 pm
Come on! Do we really have to be polite to these jokers? We know what this is about. We have been waiting for it for a while now.
Najib and Muhiyiddin have been sharing a wife (UMNO/BN) for a while now. We have been gossiping about it as the lurid details come out waiting for when the emasculation finally break one of them. It just looks like Muhiyiddin crack first..
#2 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 3:38 pm
My bet is that Najib instead of maning up will let himself emasculated further. Agree? Disagree?
#3 by joean on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 3:54 pm
Anything can be defined as 1Malaysia. OneFM said, be humble is 1Malaysia. One local singer “ah niu” said, mamak stall is 1Malaysia. I said, McDonald’s is 1Malaysia because all races eat there too. PLUS highway is 1Malaysia because all Malaysian use it. What else? Name anything, and we call it “1Malaysia spirit”. 1Malaysia? My ***
#4 by k1980 on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 4:04 pm
he is confused and does not know the meaning of 1Malaysia?
Well, one thing for sure, he certainly understands the meaning of 1Mamak
#5 by dagen on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 4:31 pm
OMG, all you lot here are stupid and useless. Look muhideen and mamak are correct.
Goodness. How shall I put it. Now speaking on behalf of cintanegara let me tell you people here wot 1malaysia is all about.
Listen carefully. 1malaysia is about umno and umnoputras’ ketuanan in everything greasy and fatty. 1malaysia is about perkasa. 1malaysia is about islam-jenis-umno.
Now do you people here get it?
Remember. Pls direct all replies to cintanegara.
#6 by sheriff singh on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 4:33 pm
Mahathir doesn’t understand what 1Malaysia is and neither does the DPM Muhyiddin.
Gee, everyone including the Tadika kids already know. Ask Rosmah.
But these two still don’t catch it. Do they need tuition? Or are they out to sabo Najib?
#7 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 4:51 pm
The 1Malaysia slogan was created with the sole aim to fish for non-Malay votes. If Najib is sincere, he would have laid out plans and strategies that propel the country to 1Malaysia. In the absence of such plans and strategies, Tun Dr. M. was right when he said Najib’s 1Malaysia was confusing and meaningless.
#8 by Taxidriver on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 5:16 pm
It puzzles me to note that why after almost 55 years of independence there are still people like cintanegara who are dead set against the malaysian malaysia concept. May I ask cintanegara if he is a malaysian and, if so, why is he worrying so much? If 1Malaysia is not the same as Malaysian Malaysia, I hope cintanegara can explain to us the actual meaning.
When Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia during Tunku Abdul Rahman tenure there was this patriotic song with part of the lyrics ” …. satu bangsa satu negara Malaysia berjaya” And would cintanegara care to interprete the meaning of the song lyrics?
RACISM STINKS!!!
#9 by Taxidriver on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 5:31 pm
1Malaysia means Malaysians will no longer be identified by race. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabahans ans Sarawakians are united as one race-the Malaysian Race. Also, we do not identify Indians muslims as MAMAKS.
We all know the meaning of 1Malaysia. How is that somebody who led the nation for 22 years find it so hard to understand?
Jib, this guy has got a hidden agenda. BEWARE.
#10 by Loh on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 5:39 pm
///PUTRAJAYA, Aug 3 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gave a stern warning today to MCA over its appeal for the government to rescind the ban on non-Muslims use of the word “Allah”, after Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein admitted that the decision was regrettable.///
What good is MCA as a political party when it cannot have a stand? MCA could not even echo its agreement with Hishamuddin!
Muhyiddin was quick to agree with Mamakthir that 1Malaysia did not unite all races, when it was clear that Mamakthir has no intention at all to treat all Malaysians equal which would have ensured unity. 1Malaysia is a vision, whether Najib meant to work towards it or not. The vision cannot be said to have failed to unite the people, unless Muhyiddin himself does not agree with that vision which is clearly against Mamakthir’s continued racist views supporting ketuanan Melayu. The persons who want to see division among the different races have no right to talk about unity.
Mamakthir said that he does not know what 1Malaysia mean to people of different races. He is trying to create confusion when clearly 1Malaysia should mean the same for all races. Mamakthir is fighting to have a role as racist champion for Malays though he truly does not belong.
It should be reminded that the special position of Malays provided under article 153 was recognition that Malays were weak. It was not a special right. Mamakthir obviously wants Malays to be seen as weak so that he could capitalize on the so-called Malays weakness. Mamakthir does not want Malays to be strong though true Malays care about the pride of their race. After all Mamakthir is really a Malayali from Kerala. Incidentally, Malayali as a language is being promoted in Singapore. Wonder whether that was welcomed by Mamakthir.
#11 by Taxidriver on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 6:07 pm
Loh,
Muhy has the right to tick-off the MCA. as we all know, MCA are beggars in the eyes of unmoputras; beggars cannot choose, they eat the crumbs thrown to them by their masters.
#12 by sheriff singh on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 6:16 pm
Does anyone remember what Mahathere’s slogan was?
Its ‘crooked, scenic, bridge’.
#13 by frankyapp on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 6:34 pm
Now which is which 1malaysia or malaysia truly Asia. I think there’s nothing about 1 malaysia except an empty slongan. On the contrary malaysia truly Asia has many significant effects such as our mullti racial,multi religious and multi cultural soceity. I don’t blame some pretty old citizens from being confused because Najib’s 1malaysia does not reflect such wonderful or important quality of all malaysians. And instead it reflected Perkasa’s racism and malays affirmation action,dpm’s malay 1st and ketuanan melayu and Gertak’s religious extremism.
#14 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 6:57 pm
1M’sia is actually BACK 2 d PAST when rakyat were equal, played n ate together
Of cos, MMK, MY, HH, IA et al understood 1M’sia as ONE superUmnoB mkan all others
#15 by monsterball on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 9:23 pm
sheriff singh….my bahasa spelling is no good…but I think it is “berseh…cerkap and amanah”…which I recalled to be…. “Clean…Efficient..????”
Anyway..his slogans are no better than Najib’s….all lies.
That is why…these two crooks are like father and son.
#16 by ktteokt on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 11:17 pm
While TDM questions Najis’ 1 MALAYSIA, Najis should perhaps question TDM about his WAWASAN 2020! He proclaimed (foresee) Malaysia to be an “advanced” nation by 2020 but his machai just came out to declare 1 BANKRUPT MALAYSIA in 2019! So, if Malaysia really becomes bankrupt in 2019, can it become an ADVANCED NATION in 2020?????
#17 by fido on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 11:40 pm
If you noticed all the slogans we had, it’s always the opposite happens….??
#18 by cseng on Tuesday, 3 August 2010 - 11:55 pm
If M fella, who spend 23 years as PM could not understand and refuse to appreciate 1 malaysia, what has been the direction for the past 2-3 decades. His 1 dilemma, (which we confuse and not appreciate) and dilemma policies landed M’sia into this dilemma state.
Whether Najib’s 1 malaysia is a reality or a smoke screen, it points at right direction. During M fella’s time, we look forward to something like 1-malaysia, once you have the 1 malaysia slogan, we push for real actions, that is how we push for progress! Why the M fella so scared of his past deed and 1 malaysia?.
“1 malaysia” at anyway better than “once Malaysia”.
#19 by joean on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 - 7:42 am
I have a “Malay” colleague, in which his father is a chinese and malay mother. He claims himself as “Malay” and of course “Muslim”, and officially registered as Malay since born. One thing I can’t digest, where the hell come a Malay?? I can accept if he is a “Chinese Muslim”. What a definition of a Malay? Should I say, any Muslim in Malaysia categorized as Malay? Think!!!
Malaysian Malaysia is the best way. You do not need to identify a race in NRD. When we step out from Malaysia, we claim ourselves as Malaysian right???
#20 by undertaker888 on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 - 7:58 am
beware of mamak snake. He does not want to see a united Malaysia. It is dangerous to him and family. He is pretending to be confused at the same time make others confused.
all he cares is a united Malaysia does not exist now or future. It’s dangerous to him. he needs to have a disunited people to hold on to some bigotry fueled power.
#21 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 - 3:59 pm
It is time for all Malaysians to dismiss such slogans like 1Malaysia that have been used to fool the nation for umpteen years.
Vision2020 too was a dream that turned into a nightmare.
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-many-malaysians-worry-about.html
#22 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 - 4:02 pm
NEW Slogans are useful if one can get the contract for those pins.
I guess with 1mil civil servants, the pin order will be at least RM25mil?
So who got the nice order?
#23 by PoliticoKat on Friday, 6 August 2010 - 8:38 am
I have one better. I have a friend who has Lebanese father and a mother who is half dutch, one quarter chinese and one quarter Malay, All in all my friend has only one great-grandmother who is a Malay. (1/8)
Still she happily calls herself a Malay while in Malaysia and has bumiputra status.
What is a definition of a Malay? you ask.
It is simple. The definition of a Malay is stated Federal Constitution. There it defines a Malay as a person who is muslim and speaks the Malay language.
Given the educational background of most Malaysians of my generation, nearly everyone can speak Bahasa Melayu. In some cases as an Indian friend of mine showed in recital competition, speak bahasa better that most Malays.
The only thing stopping all of us from masuk Melayu and enjoying all sort of bumiputra rights is our own refusal to convert to islam.
Either that is because we are dumb lot and did never realized how to abuse the system or perhaps because we actually are upstanding enough not to debase religion for financial gain. I personally believe it is the latter reason. Religion is important to hearts of many.
But yes, there are some people who convert to Islam just to enjoy the bumiputra benefits. Only in name are they muslim but not in thought, speech, or deed.