Breaking Race Barriers: Start with Schools & Children

Here is something for our leaders to think about. While we have been hearing about the success of the recent elections and the breaking of the race-based politics barrier, I think we have barely scratched the surface. In my previous blog, I have stated that having a common enemy does not mean we have transformed, it merely meant that we have started to address common issues without looking into race and religions. Don't just organize parades and say that all is fine. All is not fine.

More need to be done than just have parades (source: The Star)

If our leaders are serious about improving race-relations and start to break down the barrier of race, I think several things need to be done.

1. Start with our schools and begin with our children. Consciously and pro-actively promote inter-racial understanding and appreciation - not just one race or religion. Have notice boards, spaces to showcase the various cultures. Have activities that encourage multi-racial participation. Some countries have implemented "Harmony Day" to bring all the activities into a one big celebration of diversity. Do it. Children do not have the perception of race until we adults and politicians taught them.

2. Use positive terms. One important terms we must do away with "tolerance" ("bertolak ansur"). It has to be replaced with "appreciation" which representatives an acceptance. Is there something that bad that we have to tolerate all the time? Come on, time to change.

3. Language usage. Especially the in greetings. Encourage its usage, not limit it. We do not really know how to greet people sometimes but this can rectified very easily, it is usually one or two words like "vanakam", "ni-hao", "namaste" or even "salam". It really bring out the spirit of appreciation if we can at least speak the most important phrase of a culture. Headmasters, can use it in the mornings when they address the school assembly.

4. Make use of Food. We may feel that that we know a lot when we walk into an Indian restaurant when we order the usual "roti" (canai, telur, tisu or bom). How many people know "tosai rawa" or even "massala tosai". Have regular food fairs in schools, this will promote understanding and appreciation of each other- there are enough food that we can all share.

5. Lastly, remove leaders who do not appreciate racial and cultural diversity. We not not need a keris-waving racist education minister to lead this very important ministry. We need someone with vision, insight and most important of all appreciative of the value of diversity of our cultures.

This have not touched about the problems in our schools, that I will leave it for another day. There are issue of quality, discipline and overcrowding of schools, etc. Forums like Education Malaysia dwell in quite a fair bit.

With this in mind, we wait to see Monday's announcement who will be our next education minister.

Pray and hope.

Otherwise, we can start planning 4 - 5 years down the road for the next elections.