GEORGE TOWN: The 1Malaysia slogan must be explained in detail to the people of various races living in the country, to provide a holistic understanding of the concept, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"When I speak to the Chinese and Malays, they have differing views and cannot be united. I feel an in-depth explanation is needed," he told reporters here Monday when asked by delegates of the Malaysian Muslims Welfare Organisation (Perkim) about the people's confusion over the 1Malaysia slogan.
"They (people) do not know which one is for the Chinese or which one is for the Malays. If (they) ask me to explain, how can I explain? It was not me who introduced the slogan," he said.
(Source: The Star, August 2, 2010)
The latest poll by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research showed that while 76% of the public surveyed knew of 1Malaysia, 39% of respondents said they did not know what it meant. Most, however, thought it had to do with national unity, with 23% saying that it “promotes unity between the races”, and 18% saying it was about “fairness and equality among the races”.
When 1Malaysia was unveiled after Datuk Seri Najib Razak became premier on 3 April 2009, it was questioned by some Malay Malaysians who feared the loss of privileges, dismissed by others as hypocritical, and analysed to bits by political observers. As you remembered, there were a lot of fuss raised on the 1Malaysia concept, and among them are the accusations of 1Malaysia following 1Israel and 1Malaysia following DAP’s Malaysian Malaysia concept.
The 1Malaysia concept is vulnerable because the Malaysians do not have full understanding on the concept, and its meaning need to be spread to develop it into a solid comprehension for all Malaysians.
In order to help spread the meaning of 1Malaysia, the government has engaged the help of a non-governmental organisation, Tabung Amanah Muhibbah (TAMU).
So what is 1Malaysia? According to TAMU, 1Malaysia’s objective is to unite the races. It is more of a unifying slogan to unify the people to think as one nation regardless of Malaysia’s diversity. This diversity is embraced as a strength and asset of the country.
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