Malaysia.. Merdeka?

Every year of my life on the 31st August I was reminded again and again by my beloved Malaysia has achieved independence. The sacrifices once made by thousands and thousands of individual with their lives to make this a reality, I respect that. Looking back, we have came quite a long way so it seems. I stand proud being a Malaysia, NO really. Coming from a country with a diverse culture and race uniting and leaving in a single community. Not too long ago, the government of Malaysia came up with a slogan "1 Malaysia" conveying the message ... hmm what does it convey again? I wonder.
Well lets see what Dr Mahathir has to say - "I have spoken to Malays and Chinese and they have totally different opinions which cannot be reconciled ... they seem to have their own interpretations. As such, the government must explain to the people the actual meaning of the 1Malaysia concept and make its stand on the matter" <- NST Aug 3rd, 2010.

So there you have it! No wonder I have no idea what 1 Malaysia really means. Ever since I was young I often hear the out cry with all the special privileges catered to only the Bumiputra`s. So much so that I have accepted that this is just a part of my life. I have seen countless speeches by individuals voicing their opinion on this discrimination, just youtube it and Im pretty sure you`ll be entertained for hours. But has the voices been really heard?
Even with this, I came to love the country I grow up in. I am very much a Malaysian just like you sharing this land with all Bumiputra`s, we share the same sky, share the same food, share the same school, share the same bus, share the same workplace and yet why is there still such a huge gap between us?

I stumbled upon a write up which I find rather disturbing
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=432073840741&id=586500176
, I just don't understand why is there some people out there who are still so racist, and Im surprised its the young lads who actually did this. Just imagine the chain reaction of this stupid actions causing public discomfort, fear of their own safety of being struck down by another fellow Malaysian. Have we not learn from the May 13 incident that resulted hundreds of lives lost and mayhem throughout the country?

"The eruption of violence on May 13 was the result of an interplay of forces... These include a generation gap and differences in interpretation of the constitutional structure by the different races in the country...; the incitement, intemperate statements and provocative behaviours of certain racialist party members and supporters during the recent General Election; the part played by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and secret societies in inciting racial feelings and suspicion; and the anxious, and later desperate, mood of the Malays with a background of Sino-Malay distrust, and recently, just after the General Elections, as a result of racial insults and threat to their future survival in their own country' ”

— Extract from The May 13 Tragedy, a report by the National Operations Council, October 1969

Lets just hope Malaysia will turn for the better soon =)