Malaysian cabinet minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, YB Dato’ Sri Dr.Jamaludin Jarjis was alleged to have made statement that is seditious and demaning towards the Indians of the country in a talk in US. Apparently, Jamaludin made certain racist remarks about Indians being ‘buruh kasar’ and that light-skinned Indians as members of the higher class compared to dark-skinned ones.
The following email which sparked this issue was received from Dr.Sheela Moorthy and it was published in Malaysiakini.com
" I am a Malaysian currently living in the USA. I am supporting the education of my sister who is enrolled at CalPoly, California. The reason I am writing this letter is to express my disgust and anger regarding comments passed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Jamaludin Jarjis during a working visit to California recently.He was present at a gathering organised by the Malaysian Consulate for the students to meet him. The purpose of this meeting was for them to address any concerns or queries they had. Being away from home, we all know that we love to meet our fellow-countrymen regardless of what color or creed they may be. And being brought up in the true Malaysian way, we were thought to respect each other and look beyond the shallowness of skin color. "
It is shame to such a beautiful country of ours to have such a minister , a federal cabinet minister , to have uttered such demeaning, ill-fated and seditious statement. As a Malaysian citizen, practising mutual respect among the various communities is crucial in maintaining peace and harmony in the nation's multi-racial society. We live in a diverse nation made up of many different cultures, languages, races, and backgrounds. That kind of variety can make all our lives a lot more fun and interesting, but only if we get along with each other. And to do that we have to respect each other. Treating people with respect makes your world a nicer place to live in, whether it's at home, at school, or out in your community. And it's easy - all you have to do is treat people the way you like to have them treat you. Here are a few ideas:
• Don't insult people or make fun of them.
• Listen to others when they speak.
• Value other people's opinions.
• Be considerate of people's likes and dislikes.
• Don't mock or tease people.
• Don't talk about people behind their backs.
• Be sensitive to other people's feelings.
• Don't pressure someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do.
• Try to learn something from the other person.
• Never stereotype people.
• Show interest and appreciation for other people's cultures and backgrounds.
• Don't go along with prejudices and racist attitudes.
And that is exactly what we call Celebrating 50 years of Multi-Racial Nationhood
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1 comments to "Celebrating 50 Years of Multi-Racial Nationhood"
BMahendran says:
http://www.bmahendran.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/04/foot-in-mouth-dr-j/
Sigh..minister.,..sigh..