Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia

Imagine a Malaysia where one is not identified by his race, the religion he professes, the language he speaks and the political party he is affiliated to. And where privileges normally accorded to the rich, the influential and to those who walk the corridors of power, are totally absent! At the way things are going now such Utopian ideals will never come our way. After over 50 years of Independence we are nowhere near the goals set by the nation’s founding fathers.

Racial polarisation has changed the way we treat one another. The public sector is being dominated by one race while the private sector by another. Minorities are being relegated to being second-class citizens having to survive on crumbs and handouts. Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) is a favourite buzzword of the Malay nationalists. They have unilaterally declared that “the Malays must have political power to dominate the economically powerful Chinese in order to keep the Indians where they are”.

Islamisation is slowly making its way into our living rooms and is impacting the way we think and act. Malays being Muslims cannot practise any religion other than Islam while their non-Malay counterparts are not bound by such law. They can be tried under both civil and shariah laws. The spirit of the Constitution has been highjacked by the nationalists who claimed the Article 153 (pertaining to native rights) is all binding and is irrevocable. They have, however, overlooked Article 136 which supersedes the requirements in Article 153. These uncertainties will only make Malaysians more confused and coupled with the impasse over the use of the word “Allah”, the future looks bleak for the rakyat.

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) was formed to address these uncertainties in a civilised way. The movement consists of like-minded Malaysians who share common goals and aspirations. They envisage a Malaysia devoid of festering problems relating to race, religion and politics. They subscribe to the principles of liberty, equality, democracy and diversity. Lawyer blogger Haris Ibrahim (People’s Parliament), the founder and leader of this movement will, in the months ahead, go around the country to spread the gospel. The movement’s first stop was Penang followed by Kuala Lumpur. Ipoh was its third.

The SABM forum was held at Excelsior Hotel, Ipoh, on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Over a hundred participants took part. It was an eye-opener especially to the youngsters who were given the true version of the nation’s history. Haris is passionate about making Malaysia a safe haven for everyone. When asked what motivated him to start the movement, he replied, “It began after the candlelight vigil in PJ. We were hounded by the Police.” He felt that the energy of all peace-loving Malaysians should be galvanised. With number comes strength, he reasoned. “We’re all volunteers. Race, religion, colour and sex do not matter.” With such a spirited man at the helm, SABM is set to make waves.

FZB