Negarakukuku

I totally disagree with Wee Meng Chee for publishing his version of the national anthem. Yes, the points he brought up are probably true. Yes, our government could be a wholly lot better. Yet, extremism almost never works.

On Merdeka day, I attended a sleepover at church. We were asked what should we do, can we do, to improve Malaysia? Someone gave the horrific reply that all we needed for a great Malaysia was to destroy the Malay movement and put the Chinese in power.

This somebody had come with a Malaysian flag and had earlier sung the whole Negarakuku. He had every word memorized. What sickened me was the number of people who cheered him on, who approved the song and shared dreams of violence.

The spark that lights up a fire. I used to think that what we really needed was a big, violent event which would make everything good again. Then, I realized we already had that in the May 13 riots, which tore Malaysia apart. Wee Chee Meng might say he never asked for such violence, but the effect of Negarakuku can be seen, if only among those few misled boys.

I believe the iron fist is rarely better than the velvet glove. Beat someone into submission and you have an enemy, show him love and you have a friend.

It is no use slandering the government and Malays because even we as Malaysians, who so dearly wish for the end of racial discrimination, can hardly claim to have best friends, best Malay friends. We can hardly claim to be totally law abiding citizens.

Honestly, what good would a riot do?