"I am Malay first, but being Malay does not mean that I am not Malaysian."
Those were the words of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in 2010 when he was deputy prime minister, back when he was still in Umno.
Much has been said over the years since then, with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president being vilified for not wanting to be called Malaysian first.
Muhyiddin's reasoning was that if he were to say that he was Malaysian first, he would catch hell from the Malays.
So, if we were to read into that, we could understand the reason he said this was not because he truly believed he was Malay first and Malaysian second, but that he was afraid of the consequences.
But, would Malays actually have been up in arms if he had said he was Malaysian first?
Non-Malays, or at least the usual talking heads, lashed out when he said what he did. But, almost everyone probably did not care. You would think it would have been the same with Malays.
There would have been some who would have felt scandalised if he had said "Malaysian first". There would have been some who would have praised him. Others would not have cared.
The problem, then, is that many of us think too much along racial lines.
Take, for instance, caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
As the Perikatan Nasional election director, the man cannot be blamed for being in the news almost daily as he tries to ramp up support for the coalition as it tries not just to retain Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, but also wrest control of Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan, or at least make inroads in those states.
It is not a surprise that Sanusi, as a Pas man, plays up issues regarding the Malays and Islam.
While much has been said about the 3R issues of race, religion and royalty, and how politicians should stay away from these, it is perfectly fine if someone mentions the welfare of a person's ethnicity or faith.
What is not fine is attacking another person or group of people simply because of race and religion.
What was Sanusi thinking when he said non-Muslims were the ones who were the most arrested for giving and taking bribes? Why did he have to bring this up?
The answer is obvious, of course. He wanted not just to appeal to Muslims, but to rile them up to the point that they think they absolutely must vote for PN.
Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil, however, has put the lie to Sanusi's statement, or at least part of it.
Yes, it is true that non-Muslims are the biggest bribe-givers, but Muslims are the biggest bribe-takers.
The most important part of Shamshun Baharin's statement, however, is that the MACC does not see the colour of one's skin when it comes to corruption.
Corruption knows no ethnic bounds. It is a cancer that can infect anyone. Most of the nation's newspapers, in fact, have long since stopped mentioning race in articles when it is not necesssary.
For instance, if the police were to say an Indian/Chinese/Malay man was arrested, newspapers write only that a Malaysian man was arrested. Why? Because race is not necessary in this context.
After all, what does it matter if the perpetrator of a crime, whether it be robbery, murder or corruption, is Malay, Indian, Chinese or dan lain-lain?
Politicians, being the leaders of our beloved country, need to stop talking along racial lines. We ourselves need to learn to do so.
For as long as we do not think of ourselves as Malaysian first, this country is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. We will never move on.
When one talks about being Malaysian first, it does not mean that we forget our heritage. That should never be. We must always hold on tightly to our culture, whatever it may be. It is our identity, that of our forefathers.
So, perhaps what Muhyiddin should have said was: "I am Malaysian first, but being Malaysian does not mean that I am not Malay."
The writer is an NST news editor
