negarakuku

The song that touches the nerve of the Malaysian politicians and rakyat has unfortunately become the central issue of the country as we prepare to celebrate our 50 years of Merdeka. It is most unwarranted that the government forgot the nation building’s Social Contract (社会契约), which should be all forgiving and understanding as it was built on equality, justice and fairness for all. Our forefathers had intended that the Social Contract be the instrument that preaches mutual respect and forgivingness for our multiracial and multicultural society in our nation building. As we enter our 50th Merdeka, we should use our patriotism to lead this country into the next 50 years. It is timely that the leaders of the country from all political spectrum to promote racial harmony and nation building instead of scarifying and prosecuting this poor youth for their own political mileage. Wee is just a scapegoat for the politicians in their need to hunt for cheap publicity as the general election looms near. The government on the other hand is seen by many to blow this issue out of proportion to divert the attention of the nation from the social injustices, crimes, corruptions and mismanagement of the country’s economy. Its controlled print and electronic medias are going all out as if Wee is the No. 1 enemy of the state and as if his song would topple the nation which we have built for 50 years. If we take a closer look at the song, which titled “Negarakuku” or “我爱我的国家” in mandarin, it is not meant to insult the national anthem or propagandize any racial overtones. Furthermore, the poor youth has apologized (arranged by the ruling BN’s Chinese based MCA) to the whole nation for his unintended and misappropriated action although many believe that most if not all in his lyrics do reflect the truth and echo the sentiments of many, especially the youth, in this country. As we enter our 50th Merdeka, I think the nation and its peoples have achieved the maturity and wisdom to differentiate the truth from the mischievous. We should be able to “forgive and forget” (包容 和谅解) as what is been preached in our “social contract”. Political leaders in Malaysia, especially the ruling UMNO is seeing and trying to draw “red” in this issue and will not let go of it and they are trying to outmatch “Negarakuku” in their search for self political mileage. It is most unwarranted while the government tries to prosecute the poor youth after the PM and his cabinet members have accepted his apology; many of its leaders have shown even worse by raising sensitive racial issues such as the May 13 incident, drawing the “Keris” out in their party’s general assembly, or youth leader threatened to burn down the Selangor Chinese Hall (雪华堂) and member of Parliament challenging those disgruntling Malaysian Chinese to “go back to China.” These leaders’ statements and actions are 100 times more potent than Wee’s to our national integration and racial harmonious relation but they are not been warned or reprimanded by the UMNO and the government. The government should not channel all its energy and use all its machineries, such as the print and electronic medias, against Wee and his song. It should instead focus on many pressing issues such as 1) corruptions of its top officials, 2) mismanagement of the economy, 3) brain-drain and racial tension caused by unfair and unjust educational policies, 4) crimes and security of the peoples, 5) unfair distributions of government projects and funding and 6) rubber stamping of the Parliament. Who is Wee as compared to all these issues? On behalf of DAP Sarawak, I urge the government and all the politicians to rest Wee’s case and show our forgivingness. On the eve of this 50th Merdeka, let us concentrate our effort to build a nation that our forefathers and our children would be proud of, a nation builds on equality, fairness and justice for all. Without these ingredients, this multiracial and multicultural society will be stagnated in our search for prosperity and advancement and the government has the duty and responsibility to lead by example.

David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity secretary
19-08-2007