By M.Krishnamoorthy
A former Associate Professor, author, media coach, and journalist
Malaysia won’t succeed if non-Muslims don’t have an opportunity. When President Barack Obama said this, as seen in the 3rd minute of the YouTube video, ASEAN students applauded his remark.
He made the remarks on April 27, 2014, on his visit to Kuala Lumpur, at the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. Myanmar won’t succeed if the Muslim population is oppressed (full text of speech). No society is going to succeed if half your population -- meaning women -- aren’t getting the same education and employment opportunities as men. (Applause.)
"So I think the key point for all of you, especially as young people, is you should embrace your culture. You should be proud of who you are and your background. And you should appreciate the differences in language and food. And how you worship God is going to be different, and those are things that you should be proud of. But it shouldn’t be a tool to look down on somebody else. It shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate.
"And you have to make sure that you are speaking out against that in your daily life, and as you emerge as leaders you should be on the side of politics that brings people together rather than drives them apart. (Applause.) That is the most important thing for this generation.
“And part of the way to do that is to be able to stand in other people’s shoes, see through their eyes. Almost every religion has within it the basic principle that I, as a Christian, understand from the teachings of Jesus. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat people the way you want to be treated. And if you’re not doing that and if society is not respecting that basic principle, then we’re going backwards instead of going forward.”
We now have the Internet and smartphones, and our cultures are all colliding, Obama added. “The world has gotten smaller, and no country is going to succeed if part of its population is put on the sidelines because they’re discriminated against. ”
#MalaysiaKita2026 Malaysia is a vibrant cultural melting pot, driven by its multi-ethnic Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities. Interracial and cross-cultural marriages are increasingly common, making up roughly 8% to 11% of registered marriages in recent years, though couples still navigate unique social, familial, and religious expectations.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (https://helloimkrishna.com/) is a media coach, former Associate 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.
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