The common response to my suggestion yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should propose to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign headed by him to give flesh to his 1Malaysia slogan and policy as well as his “Zero tolerance for Racism” declaration is one of skepticism and cynicism that Najib would do any such thing.
I admit that recent developments do not indicate that Najib is capable of rising to the occasion to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and the future of Malaysia instead of being a prisoner of Umno politics and the past.
These developments include:
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His “Zero Tolerance to Racism” declaration lack credibility and legitimacy as it was preceded by his two-week silence on the racism and seditious outbursts of the two school principals in Johore and Kedah and followed by another two weeks of further inaction against the two errant school principals.
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Najib’s belated statement two days ago to re-open the controversy over the surau visit of DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching saying that she had entered the prayer hall of Surau Al-Huda, Kajang last month when she had already tendered her apology to the Sultan of Selangor for any unintended offence caused, resulting in the statement by the chairman of the sacked Surau Al-Huda committee Azemi Ahmad refuting Najib’s claim that Teo had delivered a “tazkirah” during her visit. Azemi said the Prime Minister had obtained “wrong information” and insisted that Teo had not touched on religious matters and had therefore not delivered a “tazkirah”.
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Najib’s warning yesterday to Malaysians not to question provisions in the constitution, particularly those related to the “social contract” saying that they had been agreed upon by the nation’s forefathers, without distancing him from the recent escalation of rhetoric of race based on the irresponsible and mischievous equation of the entrenched sensitive provision of Article 153 with the concept of Ketuanan Melayu and New Economic Policy.
If it is most unlikely in these circumstances for Najib to propose the initiative of a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” to end the rise of racist bigotry and religious extremism, is there any Minister concerned enough about the escalating rhetoric of race and religion to propose in Cabinet tomorrow a “Say No to Racism” nation-wide campaign?