Are we more racist now? Are the young or the old more 'racist' in Malaysia?

When I was growing up in the 70s, my best friends were Khairul Annuar and Ng Kok Leong - and there was not much of 'racism' then. We used to have cakes and curries being taken over to our Muslim and Buddhist neighbours - and they sending over food as well. I remember spending hours and hours in my neighbours homes - and was treated as one of the family - not as an Indian - a Christian. We saw people then as human beings...

Today, even when I call my Muslim friends over - there is some hesistancy about even dropping by - let alone having a drink using a glass. Now, many Muslim visitors insist one being served canned drinks or packet drinks. I see also that students in my town now seems to be only hanging around with persons from the same ethnic same religious background..

Is ethnicity and religion today become more a cause of division amongst Malaysia - Maybe it has. What with UMNO's Hishamudin's Kris yielding - and even Najib's racist/religious extreme behavior in 1987 - I am sure that Malaysians are maybe becoming more and more conscious about the differences.

Is it only BN that is promoting this ethnicism and division - not really, PKR also does that. I know that it was a PKR policy that where there is a big Malay majority, they will not field a non-Malay candidate in that constituency, and that I consider to be racist. Why should in matter how many Indians, Chinese, Ibans and/or Malays there are in a particular constituency - are they all not Malaysians, and should we not be worriend just about the best candidate for this Malaysian constituency. Race, religion,etc should never be a consideration...How many good people are side-lined because of their ethnicity or their religion?

I look for the day when people will stop saying we need to get a Malay chairperson/President - and just say we must get the best person to be the chairperson/President?

Your comments and sharing would be good..