Unity

National unity: Everyone must help to create

I REFER to your report on the issue of Bangsa Malaysia "Bangsa Malaysia stems from a state of mind, says Najib" (NST, May 26). First of all, is Bangsa Malaysia a reality or a utopian concept? The word "bangsa" has many meanings. Here it is not meant to refer to a particular race or an ethnic group. In this context, it simply means peoples of one nation. We are Malaysians, like peoples of other nations such as Indonesia, Britain, Australia, Japan or Nigeria.

As the deputy prime minister has put it, this concept will become a reality when Malaysians relate to each other on the basis of nationality, i.e. Malaysian. After all, we are one race, i.e. Malaysian, irrespective of our colour, ethnicity, religion or mother tongue.

We should not perceive Bangsa Malaysia as an abstract concept, but as a reality that exists in the nation.

Does Bangsa Malaysia really exist? We are already seeing traces of this budding concept.

For example, in times of calamity, we stand together as one, as a Malaysian, rather then as a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban or Kadazan. When our players compete in any sports or tournaments, they represent Bangsa Malaysia.

This can further be fostered through our education system. Our schools should play a prominent role in promoting the concept of Bangsa Malaysia in order to make it a reality.

In order to achieve Bangsa Malaysia, we as Malaysians should work hand in hand towards this reality. In the process, we need to make sacrifices. The reality of Bangsa Malaysia is dependent on our giving up communally-based thoughts, ideas and assumptions.

For a start, we should now think and act more like a Malaysian, not as a member of an ethnic group. All the roadblocks to the formation of Bangsa Malaysia should be eliminated slowly but gradually.

For example, we still need to fill in details of race in application forms, a practice we should clearly do away with.