We are Malaysian Chinese - not just 'Chinese'. Malaysian Indians not just 'Indians'...Malaysians that is what we should become in 1Malaysia

They are still talking about Malays, Chinese, Indians and others - in Najib's 1Malaysia. This is what I saw in a television advert about 1Malaysia.

Our forefathers may have come from India, China, Sri Lanka, etc... but should we now we referred to as Malaysians. 

If where our forefathers came from is  still important to the UMNO-led BN government - have the courtesy of at least calling us Malaysian Indians ...Malaysian Chinese...not just Indians or Chinese. 

Indians - this is not even a reference to the ethnicity of the people whose forefathers came from India. Ethnically, we are Tamils, Malayalees, Telugus, Punjabis, Gujeratis, Goanese, etc. So, it will better calling them Malaysian Tamils, Malaysian Malayalees, Malaysian Telugus, etc..

Chinese - Ethnically they are Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese, ... 

Indonesians - well many forefathers of the people who call themselves 'Malays' did come from Indonesia. But do we refer to them as Indonesians, or even Malaysian Indonesians - No, we do not but we refer to them by their constitutionally created ethnic name - Malays. We do not even call them by their ethnicity (or sub-ethnicity), i.e. Bugis, Batak, ...do we now?

So, why is the UMNO-led BN government continuing to propagate the referring of people whose forefathers may have come from the country China...and the country India as just Chinese...and Indians - not even Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians.

So, what are we first? Malaysians or Chinese, Malaysians or Indians, Malaysians or Indonesians, Malaysians or Malay.

Malays, as an ethnic group are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka,...

Who are you? Malaysian first...or the ethnic group you belong to first...or the people of the land your forefathers came from. 

Even our DPM seems to be confused - he is Malay first...and only then Malaysian... When, all of us should be Malaysian first, and then only the ethnic group that we belong to...More so, when one is the Prime Minister, DPM, Ministers...the leaders of Malaysia. We do not need leaders who put their ethnic grouping before their being Malaysian. 

"I am Malay first, but being Malay doesn't mean I am not Malaysian," said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He was responding to DAP leader Lim Kit Siang's challenge earlier today for him to state whether he is a Malay or a Malaysian first.

 

"He doesn't understand (what) the meaning of the concept of 1Malaysia is all about," Muhyiddin told a press conference in the Parliament lobby this afternoon.

"How can I say I'm Malaysian first and Malay second? All the Malays will shun me... and it's not proper," he said.

The DAP veteran leader had earlier today posed three questions to Muhyiddin as “acid tests” to ascertain whether the deputy premier really backs Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia.

1. Would Muhyiddin agree to the establishment of an opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on '1Malaysia'?

2. Is Muhyiddin prepared to declare that the basis of '1Malaysia' is "ketuanan rakyat Malaysia" (people's supremacy) and not "ketuanan Melayu" (Malay supremacy)?

3. Is he (Muhyiddin) prepared to endorse the objective of 1Malaysia as defined by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion or region second?

Trying to 'stir us up'

Lim also suggested that Muhyiddin step down if he considered himself first as a Malay rather than a Malaysian.

In response to the challenge, Muhyiddin said Lim (right) is in no position to impose a “benchmark” on his (Muhyiddin) commitment to 1Malaysia.

Muhyiddin also accused Lim of trying to "drive a wedge" between him and Najib.

"We will not fall for it or be diverted (by the issue). He is looking for reasons to stir us up," he said.

“I explained in Parliament (earlier that) a leader, even the best, when he talks about his race, it doesn't mean that he doesn't support '1Malaysia',” he implored.

Muhyiddin also argued that 1Malaysia is centred on the constitution and the Rukunegara and, therefore, "there is nothing wrong for leaders to fight for the needs of their race".

"Don't tell me that Kit Siang is going to say that he not going to defend Chinese rights,” he said.

'Middle Malaysia'

Adopting such a stand, furthermore, does not imply he supports '1Malaysia' any less, said Muhyiddin.

"It does not mean that when we help the Malays, we won't help the Chinese," he said.

Muhyiddin also took a swipe at DAP's 'Middle Malaysia', saying the concept was not shared by its opposition coalition partners.

'Middle Malaysia' is only supported by DAP, not Pakatan Rakyat (as a whole), whereas in the BN, there are 13 (other) component parties who unanimously support '1Malaysia'.

“I challenge Kit Siang to prove that PKR and PAS also support Middle Malaysia.

"Their party is chauvinistic. Our party (is a) national party,” said Muhyiddin.

He also claimed that 1Malaysia's appeal is the reason behind DAP's “fear” of it.

"I can say I'm a Malaysian first but (would it be sincere)?” he asked.- Malaysiakini, 31/3/2010, Muhyiddin: I'm Malay first

If Muhyiddin says  Malay first, then when a Malay and another Malaysian goes to see him, he will give priority to the Malay - rather than the Malaysian. It is so sad. Malaysians expect to be treated equally as Malaysians especially by the leaders of the nation - and not be discriminated on the basis of ethnicity ...or where my forefathers came from.