Barack Hussein Obama and family in Chicago on the night he was elected the 44th President of USA.
Published: Thursday November 6, 2008 MYT 9:47:00 PM
Ong: Time to be free from racism
KUALA LUMPUR: With Barack Obama becoming the first African American to be elected president of the United States, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said it was time that Malaysians free themselves from the shackles of racial issues.
“Sadly in Malaysia, we are still bickering over the appointment of a Chinese woman as acting general manager for the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).
“It is time for us to break free from the orthodox way of doing things. In the United States, it took more than 200 years for a black man to be elected president in a predominantly white country.
“Ironically, the very people in Malaysia who cheered for Obama do not think that a Chinese is deemed fit to lead PKNS,” Ong said in a statement.
Ong said the reaction from certain politicians from both sides of the divide on the appointment showed that they were still “stuck in their own racial cocoon.”
In Parliament, Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub said Malaysia should follow the American way of choosing their leaders without looking at his skin-colour.
“Obama won not because of black votes but due to the support of the majority white voters. I can see that the Americans want to create just policies for everyone in their country,” said the PAS Youth chief.
Padang Besar MP Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said that time would tell if the new US Government would be willing to change its pro-Zionist policies and negative attitude towards the Palestinians.
“PAS was not happy with the idea of appointing a non-Malay deputy prime minister. You have to look at yourselves first before pointing blame at someone else,” said Azmi. (The Star Online, 6 Nov. 08)
Comment:
USA took 200 years to elect a non-white president. Probably Malaysia would need another 150 years to elect a non-Bumi prime minister. After all Malaysia is just about 50 years old. I think the MCA president should know better.
In USA, people of all races, even though diversified in languages and cultures, have one thing in common: One official language - American Engslih. No other languages are made official, meaning, the administrative language is English. And every citizen who dares to dream of becoming the American Presidents or States' Officials must be loyal to the American Constitution.
Moreover if we are in USA today, we do'nt see their road signboards written in many languages except the accepted English language. Can we, as loyal citizens follow that small example?
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