Recognize History to Appreciate the Present in Malaysia

Look, nobody ever bled for the independence of this land except the Malay's. So you can't blame them for suspecting that they might be the only people who ever would bleed for the independence of this land if it was ever threatened because they're the only ones who ever did bleed. Now, they bled for the independence of this land. They achieved the independence of this land. They freed themselves from the British Empire and then they adopted the people whom the British Empire left behind.

They integrated them into the citizenry of the new independent Malaysia. They didn't have to do that. Now, I think it's very important to understand this and to recognize this history so that you can appreciate the astounding magnanimity and humanity of spirit that the Malays exhibited towards the people who had formerly worked for the British Empire against the independence of the Malays, against the independence of this land. They integrated those people into the citizenry. They gave them full citizenship and they made Malaysia.

And now they're all brothers and sisters. They're all fellow citizens in the same one Malaysia. It's extremely important to recognize this and to appreciate this because it seems to me that it's very popular to allege that the only obstacle to Malaysia being a successful multiracial, multiethnic, multi religious society, the only obstacle to that is the Malays. The opposite is true. You can't level that charge against the Malays.

There is a multiracial society in Malaysia because of the Malays. There is a multiethnic society in Malaysia because of the Malays. There is a multi religious, multi faith society in Malaysia because of the Malays. Their magnanimity, their tolerance is not open to question. You have to recognize that history to appreciate and understand that no one is more serious about having a multiracial, multi ethnic, and multi religious society.

No one is more serious about that than the Malays because it didn't have to be that way. They didn't have to do that. They could have treated the people that were left behind by the British Empire as persona non grata, but they didn't. And you need to understand that the Malays are proud of that because those are beliefs that come from Islam. That's a value system that comes from Islam.

This is something that the Malays are proud of, that the Muslims are proud of. We can, in Islam, have multiple belief systems operating peacefully amongst each other, multiracial groups. You understand? So it doesn't make any sense for anyone to oppose Islam being the official religion of the state of Malaysia in the constitution because it's on that basis. It's because of that value system that you have a multiracial, multiethnic, and multireligious society.

You have to appreciate it.