MODERATES MUST LEAD

The Prime Minister, headlined in today’s The New Straits Times, said “moderates must lead the fight against fanatics or extremism will prevail” and emphasized “we must not allow any form of extremism to destroy our nation”. And he asked the “moderates to speak up” and play their role to stop the extremists and the fanatics from taking centre stage.

I agree totally with Pak Lah on all counts.

Although most of us are already very familiar with the essence of the message, it is a message that needs constant revisit to remind us of the lessons of understanding, tolerance, moderation, and restraint – basis of harmonious co-existence in any given society. The majority of Malaysians support this mainstream view and the government’s position on it. Those who do not, I believe, are very small, and are probably genuine trouble-makers and agitators. There are many such people in this world and we too have our share.

Given the occasion (Christmas function on Boxing Day), Pak Lah’s message was mainly focused on inter-communal harmony and the danger of extremism – of both views and actions. While the intended focus might be simply that, I thought his message, especially his call for the “moderates to speak up and play their role”, could and should be taken in its totality and in the widest possible context, as long as they are constructive and helpful to the nation.

Extremism and fanaticism, in the widest context, should include all forms of excesses, while the moderates that Pak Lah called upon should constitute the majority of the people, the majority Rakyat. In essence Pak Lah was asking us, the Rakyat, to speak up and make our voices heard and fight against all excesses wherever they might be in this land, but always within the bounds of our existing systems (and most certainly not through arrogant, disruptive, and unlawful street marches).

And only yesterday I wrote at the end of my blog: Perhaps it is time for us, the majority “up-to-now blissfully unconcerned passengers” to be concerned. Perhaps it is time for us to do some really serious soul-searching and honestly examine what we can and should do, within the bounds of our established system, to help correct the situation! See posting immediately below "LEADING WITHOUT LEADERSHIP".

Now, you can see why I was excited with Pak Lah’s message – it was the exact message I wrote yesterday. I actually wrote the same message on my blog on the same day Pak Lah was delivering his. What coincidence!

Pak Lah was worried about excesses in certain quarters – that they might destroy the country, so was I. He was concerned about building a peaceful and stronger nation, so was I. He was urging the moderate Rakyat to speak up and play a role to help fight these excesses, so did I. My appeal to my few readers was in total sync with Pak Lah’s appeal to the entire nation; and I wholeheartedly pledge my support for him on this issue.

Strange… but somehow I still have this nagging feeling that Pak Lah and I did not actually mean the exact same thing!