Will the real moderates please stand up?

As a pluralistic society represented by the variance formed during the British colonial era, Malaysia demonstrates a great deal of diversity among its population.

Recently, Malaysia has witnessed a much greater polarisation in various areas where there are continuous assaults on issues, particularly those related to race and religion.

With a long list of debates that are ongoing in the country, the spirit of moderation is what all Malaysians should have as we step into our 57th year of independence.

Malaysia is often related to as a moderate Islamic country as it is mainly peaceful and prosperous.

But are we really living in a country of moderation as the world perceives?

Tan Sri Andrew Sheng from the Fung Global Institute puts it in an excellent way in one of his recent articles. He says: "The Renaissance period (the 14th to 17th century) was the Age of Adventure, and the 17th century was the Age of Reason. The Age of Enlightenment described the 18th century, and the 19th century became the Age of Ideology with the rise of capitalism, socialism and the like. The 20th century was the Age of Analysis, an age of computers and data. Unfortunately, the 21st century is an Age of Uncertainty..."

It is indeed this age of uncertainty that has caused the radical elements and beliefs in society. There is so much uncertainty because there is no national direction on where we are heading.

The spirit behind the idea of 1Malaysia which was introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is fading away along with the contemporary atmosphere in Malaysia.

According to the 1Malaysia website: “1Malaysia values and respects the ethnic identities of each community in Malaysia, and proudly regards them as an asset and advantage. 1Malaysia underlines the value of ‘acceptance’ amongst its multiracial people, where one race embraces the uniqueness of other races so that we may live with mutual respect for each other as a nation. It is a distinct above that of mere tolerance.”

1Malaysia is an attractive slogan but it is seriously lacking in substance and action. Year after year, we continue to face insensitive racial and religious remarks made by fellow Malaysians.

The voices of moderation, coexistence and tolerance are critical as foundations for building mutually acceptable relationships in a multi-racial and multi-religious society like ours.

It is extremely important that an open, rational and moderate attitude be embraced by all quarters to more effectively address the diverse nature of Malaysian society.

The best way to approach such a challenge is to celebrate our differences.

As highlighted by Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharudin in his paper, “Perhaps Malaysia and Malaysians, without even realising, has been adopting the ‘Formula BN’ since after the Second World War in the late 1940s.”

What does he mean by “Formula BN”? His “Formula BN” refers not to Barisan Nasional but instead stands for “bargaining and negotiation”.

Shamsul continued: “How ‘BN’ began peacefully, its mechanism, the painful difficulties we have to endure, the contestations and compromises we have to come to terms with, and the joy of sharing and celebrating our cultural differences, for instance, in terms of the food we eat and entertainment we enjoy, have been explained, but in a disparate manner, fragmented into reports, personal narratives and hundreds of biographies in various languages.”

Hence, while the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) which was established in November 2013 has a bigger mandate to play now, it is of critical importance that the leaders themselves embrace the spirit of moderation.

Civil society also plays a role – for example, the call and campaign for moderation by The Star is a good and timely effort.

Very often, however, politicians themselves are the “real” culprits as some of them manipulate the sentiment of national unity for their own political advantage.

It is therefore time for leaders to show a good example that reflects moderation in their thinking and actions.

Merdeka Day is after all about national unity. Moderation can only exist if more Malaysians are willing to come out and speak up against extremist views.

Extremism breeds more extremism and this widening polarisation needs to stop. That being so, let us take a proactive stance to stand up against extremism before it is too late. – August 25, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.