Malaysia is a rich country inhabited by people from various cultural and religious backgrounds. Over the past six decades, we have toiled together and achieved unparalleled success across socioeconomic and political fronts, making Malaysia exemplary to other nations.
Undeniably, the most important asset which we have collectively and continuously enjoyed is our political stability.
To continue with this success story, it is incumbent that our leaders implement inclusive policy initiatives which will further strengthen this existing bond between us, moving away from mere tolerating to celebrating each other. After all, inclusiveness is a vital component of any nation building strategy, especially in a diverse country such as Malaysia.
The Sikhs in Malaysia are typically a sub-ethnic minority segment of the larger Indian ethnic group, predominantly represented by the Tamils. It is well documented that the Sikhs were first brought in here to maintain law and order.
Predominantly serving in the army, police, and the Prisons Department, today the Sikhs prominently contribute towards nation building through various professional fields not limited to serving as lawyers, doctors, engineers and in the corporate sector but also as high ranking civil officers. Although small in number, the Sikhs have demonstrated great collaboration and resilience, effectively becoming exemplary citizens of Malaysia.
Prior to 2008, Sikhs stayed and operated from behind the scenes under a self-sustaining cultural, religious, social and political support system.
When the political landscape post 2008 general election altered, Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2010 launched the 1Malaysia concept, aiming to unite Malaysians, transcending the gap of race and religion. While the strategy was commendable, its implementation was somewhat flawed, but nevertheless, recognition goes to the prime minister for his noble and honest intentions.
Post introduction of the 1Malaysia concept, the prime minister embarked on a direct outreach strategy to engage the diverse segments of Malaysian society and this, for the first time, involved the direct participation of the Sikh community. The Sikhs, too, began receiving direct recognition, accorded with government financial aid in support of socio-religious and economic empowerment initiatives.
The Sikhs today are able to implement a myriad of activities in a more cohesive manner benefiting the wider community. The existence of such a support system was limited in the past.
While we thank the prime minister for all that he has done for the community, the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) which was recently launched is evidently regressive for the Sikhs, capable of pushing us back to pre-2008 era. The MIB document is disappointingly exclusive, demonstrating the questionable intentions of the very people who were tasked to develop it.
From its introductory chapter itself it begins to capture a narrative unique to the Tamil community which is the dominant Indian community in Malaysia. From how the Tamils were brought in to Malaysia as indentured labourers to their displacement from estates caused by rapid urbanisation, related socioeconomic and political issues, and challenges faced. The recommendations quite distinctly address concerns raised in the preceding narrative.
There is little or no mention at all of the Sikhs, less of other sub-ethnic Indian communities and their issues. It fails to capture the fact that the history, issues and challenges of the Sikhs are different if compared with that of the Tamil community and the recommended solution may not be applicable to the Sikhs.
Reading the MIB document, the Sikhs have lost faith that the community will continue to be fairly represented, as it is glaringly exclusive.
Perhaps it is best that the government implement a direct approach mechanism to engage the Sikh community, preferably via various established community organisations, rather than being left to continuously crave for hand-outs from the Tamil community, which is obviously better represented politically.
Darshan Singh Dhillon is an FMT reader.
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