M. Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, adjunct professor and author
#BackInTime: When I was a kid, back in the 50s and 60s, I did not experience the feeling of race or religion. Then, as Malayans and Malaysians, our aspirations were simple. Since childhood, I have been taught by teachers and parents to respect and accept everyone without prejudice. Then, we listened to the elders and did not know how to argue. Once, when I spoke against my father, I got a flying kick from my father.
So, I have always been grateful to my late parents, teachers and elders who have inspired me through good human values. Sometimes, I have encountered people I find shallow and hypocritical of others. It was a learning lesson. Just like we have good and bad leaders. Leadership is not always about getting things done “right.”
Leadership is about getting other people to lead. Stay along and work together with them. One great lesson I learned is not to fear failure. As a writer, my greatest gift is to express the voice for the voiceless, I hope to continue to practice it because of my enriching and enlightening past.
Back then, I read many books by Bertrand Russel, Alvin Toffler, Shakespeare and other famous authors and philosophers in the 60s and 70s.
Through their written works, I learned how to fight racism and injustice. In my Bangsar TNB neighbourhood, we grew up as one nation, one people, and one human race. No one had the right to dominate or control another. We were all one and believed in a Malayan race before independence. Back in the day, we were one multiracial country -- loving, helping and caring for one another. Joining hand in hand, we lived and played together as equals. No race or religion is superior to the other, and no talk of special rights.
Uncertainty is not our enemy. Our journey together will reveal that hope is not only a powerful centre of security and guidance. Our true nature, our essential being, is to search for solutions to unify the nation. I dreamed that one day, young boys and girls, Malaysians of all races, would be holding hands and intermingling as one nation, one voice, and loving each other as a Malaysian race. Yes. Together, we can inspire, aspire and triumph if we can serve, help and understand one another as the human race uniting all Malaysians.
In the same way, we grew in harmony, we need to hand over this nation to our children safely as a united nation. The future is in their hands and not in bickering politicians. It’s time for us to awaken to the awareness of our children’s future. When we recognise that our worry and doubt are an illusion, we become free, hopeful, and fearless for the next generation to lead us as one nation.
My friends, now in their 70s, reminded me of the need for moderation and to reject extremists’ use of race or religious rhetoric. Hence, we strived to foster the social culture that emphasised for us to be ethnic bridge builders. Then, we found unity in diversity. We found common threads and weaved our thoughts of unity to accept all races as one and live as one community.
There are many mistakes, and politicians I noticed have divided our loving cosmopolitan nation in the past 66 years since independence. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric worldview the politicians adopted. Politicians never learned to take the blame for our shortcomings in not uniting the nation after 66 years of independence.
I still need to get all the answers for moving forward in unity. Neither do politicians who mastered the art of divide and rule. We are all learning to live in harmony as one Malaysian race because our politicians have misled us, and we have been divided to think and act on racial lines. At the rate we are going, I know very little about what the future may bring. But I do know myself, and this country is a great nation for all races. My parents taught me to work hard, laugh, and be cheerful and honest in my interactions with all races.
Through thick and thin, we grew together. The older people say today's children don't know sacrifice and are selfish and spoiled. Then, our parents disciplined us. But today, I blame myself for not teaching my children proper human values such as respect and tolerance. We live in a different time now. If we try to use the cane, our children warn us that they will report the parents to the police.
The word ‘Bumiputra’ was not known in the 50s and 60s. Then, we only knew our friends by name, and not by race. Their parents were Pak Cik and Mak Cik or Uncle and Aunty. Those were the best days of my life, and there were no traffic jams. Then Morris Minors and Volkswagen were seen on the empty roads. Alongside these two brands were also Holdens, Vauxhall, Austins, Mini Minors, Opel and Chryslers.
Japanese cars were considered "inferior" then because of the British rule. At that time, there were hardly any traffic lights and roundabouts. Villages (kampungs) and communities came together during kenduris (parties). Chinese, Indians and Malays enjoyed the parties and gatherings to celebrate a wedding or circumcision event. None in the crowd identified themselves as a race. We didn't care what the colour of our friends' skin was.
Malay weddings had joget (Malay folk dance) sessions at night, and it was the only time when all races danced freely. Malay ladies partnering with Chinese and Indian men taught them how to do the joget. No headscarves (tudung). They wore lovely baju kurong and kebayas (long dresses); Chinese ladies wore sexy cheong sums, while Indian women wore sarees.
Times have changed today. In the past, it was all about working hard until we reached 60 and 70 years to succeed. Today, millennials want to retire at 40, buy a boat or ship, and cruise on it. Today, the younger generation wants to throw away after a single use of appliances. My age was the original recycling movement in the world. Whatever happens, the young and the old must survive and live harmoniously. Cast aside all our racial, religious and cultural barriers and live as Malaysians.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns about going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman, and Member of Parliament.
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