(Sept 15): From the time of Malaysia’s formation 60 years ago, one quality that has characterised our country is its diversity. Starting with the colourful mix of Malaya’s three main ethnic groups at Independence, our founding fathers reached across the South China Sea to embrace the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in the fold of a new nation. Thus was forged Malaysia’s destiny.

Looking back to that moment in 1963, it can truly be said that this quality has shone through during our best moments. The evidence is there before our eyes in every field of the nation’s progress. In our political life, the rainbow coalition that the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, forged to unite a polity that had been deeply fractured by the racial riots of May 13, 1969 ensured that the country could concentrate on bringing the fruits of development to all segments of society.

For decades, the stability that emerged from the Barisan Nasional’s formula of inclusion remained a wonder for the world at large. It is said, however, that change is the only constant. Today, that political certainty is no longer a given, and apparently at the root of the current polarisation of public discourse around race, religion and royalty.

In terms of well-being, Malaysians of every description have prospered together and improved their quality of life with the expansion of the so-called economic pie as the nation’s growth trajectory took off. The democratic dividend gave many ordinary Malaysians upward mobility through upskilling, shared opportunities and distributive policies.

At the societal level, the easy mingling of the myriad communities that make up the country’s cultural tapestry has always fascinated visitors in particular. The most vibrant expressions of this ethnic variety must surely be the colourful and joyous festivals that each community celebrates in a year-long parade of renewal, piety, generosity and amity that is infectiously joyous. And while this is the patent experience of the varied population of peninsular Malaysia, it is even more strongly characteristic of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, whose indigenous communities possess a charming openness to cultural diversity that is well-storied.

To all of us whose lives are constantly enriched by the inherent friendliness of Malaysia’s many peoples, this diversity is a blessing that is too precious to be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency.  

In spite of all the divisive rhetoric that has escalated especially in the last decade or more, Malaysians have proven to be largely impervious to such efforts to drive us apart. This is evident especially in times of crises. Most recently perhaps during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was heartwarming to see how Malaysians of all stripes responded to the plight of their neighbours who abruptly found that they could not put food on the table.

Our faith in the essential goodness of people regardless of their religious beliefs or cultural identity is reaffirmed every time a major disaster arrests the nation’s attention. This was seen during repeated episodes of serious flooding in large parts of the country, when innumerable volunteers rallied to save stranded victims and rush emergency supplies to devastated communities, driven only by the awareness of our common humanity.

This is not to deny that our nation faces many challenges around inclusion, social justice and economic disruption, among other issues. All the more reason therefore that we must pull together as one nation to cooperate for the success of the project called Malaysia.

As we mark the 60th year of Malaysia’s formation, let us vow to scale greater heights together, united in diversity.