BY: NADHIRA ZA

In this country, over the decades since independence from the British colonialists, Malaysians seem to have developed a ‘pigeon-hole’ thinking by categorising race and religion into certain compartments or categories.

There has, over the years, been the development of making sweeping statements and generalizations by most Malaysians that are drawn by racial and religious lines which the National Unity Ministry must now work to dismantle.

It is this type of stereotyping that needs to be discarded and to start thinking in unity along universal lines by a broad understanding that all Malaysians need to rise above race and religion and to think singularly or embrace universality.

It is by going beyond the accidents of birth such as race, religion and nationality and learning not to judge a book by its cover, but by believing that inside of each human being there are those commonalities which actually should be highlighted.

While there is on the surface, differences and diversity between Malaysians, it is by going beyond the superficial or the external that Malaysians can become better people and promote peace and harmony.

By being broad minded, and by shedding all narrow minded thinking, overcoming the fear of the unknown about each other, and eliminating distrust and suspicion, Malaysians will have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher