We came a long way, in a short while

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, MP Kuala Selangor gave a superb speech about Islam during the PR Common Policy Forum held at Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, Penang on Feb 05, 2010.

Video by Jimmy Leow Beng Hock, Citizen Journalist

Who was promoting 1Malaysia first?

Fifteen years ago, I would never go to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia fearing that I will be chopped into pieces if I was involved in an accident with a Malay fellow or their kampung chicken. Seeing a PAS flag would caution me to be extremely careful as it was a label of "unsafe" territory for non-Malays. 

Stories of non-Malay motorists being beaten to death was the first thing that crossed my mind whenever I saw these flags hung across the truck roads many years back. It also reminded me that if I was involved in an accident, never, never stop but drive all the way to the nearest police station, it was safer. (Police stations were safer back then).

Same goes for a DAP flag, the rocket. It was to me at that time never a symbol of democracy but a symbol of communism, the China way of administration. I was not comfortable with the party and kept a fair distance away as it was the opposition party. Well, that was 15 long years ago. Time has passed and people changed, I changed.

Today, I see PAS championing non-Malay issues, DAP fights for non-Chinese communities. What a change of perspective indeed. I believe this is 1 Malaysia, where leaders from different race care for other races without discrimination.

Maybe there were no policies changed all these while as far as these parties are concerned, and they have been promoting 1 Malaysia all along but it was just my believes that changed. It was the changes in the political scene that made me realized how easily one can be blinded by political "smoke screens". 

So, you tell me, who promoted 1 Malaysia first? 

What? Malaysians denied entry to Sarawak?

They invited illegals from neighboring countries into Sarawak, gave them identity cards, gave them lands and housings but refused entry of a Malaysian? This is really sickening, we are Malaysians and we can travel anywhere we want within the country and overseas without any fear or favour.

You might as well issue the so called “rubbish whatever refusal notice” to the whole population of Malaysia. I know “sometimes” politics is unfair and dirty, but I didn’t know the politicians in Sarawak resort to such dirt cheap tactics. Pathetic.

Star 15 Feb 2009 KUCHING: PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa was denied entry into Sarawak yesterday, becoming the second politician from the party to be barred from the state. The Subang MP was stopped by immigration officials at Kuching International Airport at 1.30pm and served with a notice of refusal of entry under Section 66(1) of the Immigration Act. The reason given was that he was not from Sarawak and therefore not entitled to enter the state without a permit or pass.