By YS Chan
At the opening of the 2016 Johor Umno Convention on Nov 10, Liaison Committee chairman Mohamed Khaled Nordin was reported to have said: “Because for Johor Umno, Malays must be taught to be independent. The thinking and attitude of over-dependence on rights and aid must be eradicated.”
He added: “The anti-competition and anti-progress attitude must end. Backward thinking like this is a major problem which causes the Malays to be left behind. This is the problem which makes it difficult for Umno to become more progressive.”
Such bold and candid statements can only come from someone with true leadership qualities and who genuinely loves his party and race. Real progress can only be attained by uplifting entire communities, transforming their lives and changing them for the better.
The call made by Khaled, who is also Johor Menteri Besar, applies to all Malaysians, as every community has its own weaknesses and strengths. But many Malaysians are insular and lack exposure, even within their own communities.
If our citizens had drawn from the strengths of the many communities living in our country, Malaysia could easily be one of the world’s leading nations. But many are too preoccupied in picking on others, and bringing harm in the process.
Many pseudo leaders have chosen the easy path to be popular by spewing hatred. They have only succeeded in bringing regress to the very community they pretend to champion when putting others down.
Condemning other ethnicities and faiths will backfire, but it has not stopped those intoxicated by support from blind followers. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong in loving one’s race or religion and doing the right thing would also gain the respect of others around the globe.
People tend to mask their lack of self-confidence by expounding supremacist views, whereas those who are self-critical are aware of their great potential. If our country had more leaders like Khaled, Malaysia would be the envy of the world.
YS Chan is an FMT reader.
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