Navigating the taboo topics of race, religion and politics

TODAY, I would like to write about something that I have managed to steer clear of in my almost three years of writing in this column here – all the taboo subjects of race, religion and politics.

I’ve always remembered this famous, overused quote (it’s attributed to a Pravinee Hurbungs, but if you Google up his name, it would turn up blank and a mystery, as good as ‘Anonymous’!) – he has a few other famous sayings as well.

One learns from a very early age that all three of these subjects are very important and are essential towards one’s emotional, spiritual, psychological and physical growth. Yet one is also taught, as I was, that in a cultured and decent society, one tries one’s best to stay well clear of talking, discussing and opining one’s innermost thoughts on these three subjects – especially when we are among mixed company of new friends, strangers and acquaintances.

At best, one can talk and discuss and debate about them among family members and very close intimate friends, but that’s about the limit.

You would very quickly learn a costly personal lesson should you decide to openly state an opinion among mixed company, people whom you have either just met for the very first time and have no idea of their affiliations or leanings towards religion and politics by taking either an extremist leftist or right wing view on any subject being talked about. The general advice is to keep one’s opinions to oneself until one is certain of not offending any party within earshot.

I come from a rather traditionalist background, my family had originally arrived from China in the 1840s and we consider ourselves ‘Peranakans’, having married the local womenfolk. Our original religion was a combination of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Our politics had always been conservative and right wing, and we had supported the government of the day wholeheartedly. Our ancestors were appointed the Chinese chieftains of their various clans and organisations.

Obviously nothing ever stays the same and through the 180 years here and over eight generations later, we have somewhat evolved and changed, via inter-marriages, as well as through natural progress and modernisation – into a widespread family resembling the varied colours of the rainbow; indeed, one which is cosmopolitan and in every shade of religious, racial, sexual inclinations and of course in politics – they all now permeate throughout the Ong family hierarchy and all the four living generations of its multitude of members.

Our commonality no longer exists except for our surname. Many too have left these shores for supposedly greener pastures in the quest for marital unions or self-betterment and lives anew, as I’m sure is common with many other local families.

As for race, I was always taught to be colour-blind. In 1956, my first year at the St Thomas’ Primary school, in our class of almost 50 pupils there were besides a majority of Chinese, the Malays, the Iban, the Bidayuh, the Indians, and later on, joined by Eurasian.

There were no barriers in our co-existing with each other, no segregation at all – we had played, eaten, studied and joined uniformed organisations together – indeed the Muslim and the Hindu boys had also followed the rest of us non-Christians attend the special Christian Holy Days at the St Thomas’ Cathedral, without blinking an eye or attracting any opposition from the mostly liberal-minded other families.

I am happy to add that the close camaraderie between us has existed to this very day; we have had held reunions in recent times, for our 40th and 50th class anniversaries. When we had met up, it was as if the years had disappeared and although many of us were now either members of or supporting various different political parties, ideals and principles, there were no distinguishable differences in our continued friendships.

A few of us have migrated to live overseas, and a few have gone on to a higher plane.

Today, I don’t really see our youths and students congregating socially in mixed races; time, attitudes and changes in the political system and the so-called ‘preferential treatment’ that was the New Economic Policy (NEP) have changed all that.

The seismic change had come after May 13, 1969; which in all effect and purposes was not unlike the 9/11 event in the United States of America.

Although the 1969 tragedy was isolated to Peninsular Malaysia and had never directly affected both Sarawak and Sabah, its ramifications and the aftershocks have affected the entire nation of Malaysia ever since. Nothing has ever been the same again after that.

Race and religion are always entwined with each other. Insofar as religion is concerned, we should all be grateful that we are living in Sarawak and Sabah, and have always had the best of personal freedom and liberties in practising and upholding our personal faiths and religions, whatever they may be.

We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the government of Sarawak has always been and will, I am sure, continue to be open, liberal and enlightening to the wishes of its citizens, be they religious or not. They have shown it in their many important gestures and efforts in promoting harmony and unity among followers of all faiths.

It is hoped and we all pray that such an open, honest attitude and policy would continue to be upheld.

Doubtless, there would always be the naysayers, trouble-makers and the minority who would want to create chaos and try to sow the seeds of discontent, especially the extremists among the faiths and different races. These can be found mostly on social media; they would continue to fuel an ongoing onslaught on the faithful to stir up ill-feelings by either using fake news at their disposal or creating undue unrest whenever the opportunity arises.

I urge all decent-thinking folk to avoid such trouble-makers and to ensure that none of them would be able to make any headway into these troubled waters that they purposely create.

There’s one way to do this: nip it in the bud; do not heed these group messages forwarded in WhatsApp chat-groups or on social media; and do not re-forward to share anything you receive, without first considering three things – is it from a reliable person or source; have I read it in full; and could it be fake news?

Follow these rules and you won’t go wrong.

Finally, on politics.

John Adams, a remarkable political philosopher and the second president of the United States, had said: ‘Government is instituted for the common good: for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family or class of men’.

Now, if every one of us believes in that and every government of the day practices that, then there’d be no reason to have politics at all.

The main reason why there is so much politicking in this age, as in all previous ages, has been the continuing pursuit of that ideal.

We all have our political ideals – we support those whom we think would bring us to that higher purpose, that ‘Utopia’, that perfect place where we can all enjoy and benefit from the fruits of our labour, with favour towards none and with true honour, harmony and equality for all.

Is that too much to ask? It seems so.

Amen.