Tolerance

Strong communities are built on strong ties within most of the people living inside of them. Understanding the need to bond with the family on either side of your house or across the street is the building blocks of security and social well being of all. The make up of such a community over a period of time leads to a sense of security and a nurturing caring attitude for those within its boundaries. The value of life itself appreciates as everyone is considered equal regardless of whatever background. Tolerance becomes second nature and there is always pride in showing it without it being requested. Any problems within its confines, becomes everyone’s problem to solve.

Well, that was how it was years ago. The advent of racial politicking and active positive discrimination in Malaysia began the disintegration of community values. One of the effects of this was the polarizing of students in public places of learning. It became so extreme that Mahathir mooted the Vision School, telling the public that if Malaysia broke up the vernacular schools and fused all the students together, in one place, we can turn back time.

Of course, the Dong Jong, a signatory of Suqiu in charge of the Chinese schools, did not fall for it, as they smelled a rat. They figured that Mahathir would pretend to be fixing the problem, but instead impose the badly mangled education system onto the Chinese, along with other unimaginables. The Chinese schools, up this point had stayed with their own standards, much to the chagrin of the then PM, and he consistently berated them for sabotaging his “unity plan”.

The Vision Schools were born, but the problem of non integration has not diminished, but rather has slowly worsened. The Malaysian way of building a new structure, but sticking to the same old principles never really works. Recently, there was an outcry from the students of a Tamil school within a Vision school, who wanted to quit the school, if they were not provided with a separate canteen. The food was catered for a single race and religion, which was not acceptable for the Hindus. The authorities insisted that a duel canteen system would defeat the ideology of the school, never mind if some of the student don’t eat. We hear of the case of a student in Sarawak that was caned, because his parents had packed food, that was deemed punishable even to be bought into the schools compound!!   

The good things that make up a strong caring community must be rebuilt. Tolerance must be seen done. The virtues of “for everyone his own” must be practiced. Respect others to be respected. Know thy neighbor must become the catch phrase. Remember the kampong in KL that shielded folks from another race from harms way during the fateful month of May 1969?  Speak out about the good things that happen within a community. Interact more with others regardless of race or religion.

The other day, I attended a Deepavali open house in Telok Pulai Klang that hosted children from a Christian orphanage. Among the guests were some Malay and Chinese friends. It was the same spirit that is practiced by the committee members of the Surau in Klang which counted as friends and neighbors everyone in their vicinity. When the Surau had a Hari Raya open house there were all kinds of food that was accepted by all in that community. Likewise perhaps DAP’s  M. Manoharan from the Kota Alam Shah constituency couldn’t have consciously donated a cow for Adil Adha to the surau but he could, with a glad heart, give them some goats for the occasion, which he did, to the joy of the committee of the Surau.

                                                                                                                                  An article by AJ