Mr. Hishammuddin Hussein, the former Defence Minister of Malaysia, has called 
on his countrymen to work towards uniting all races and working towards the 
nation's progress.

In a letter issued to the Malaysian media, Mr Hussein said: "The past few weeks 
have witnessed talks on unity from across political lines. Whether it is in 
terms of political cooperation, or Malay Unity - I have always been consistent, 
I support any effort to unite Malaysians at any level. Whether it begins at the 
societal level, or between the Malays first, we must realise that this effort 
has been undertaken since before our days of Independence," adding, "In 1946, 
my grandfather Dato Onn Ja'afar convened a meeting of more than 40 Malay 
organisations, uniting the Malays to oppose the British Empire and the 
formation of the Malayan Union. While this led to the founding of the United 
Malays National Organisation (UMNO), he realized an independent Malaysia will 
not be able to succeed only based on Malay Unity. This led to his resignation 
from UMNO in 1951 because they rejected his proposal to open UMNO's membership 
to all races."

The former Defence Minister warned: "Though not exactly, history is repeating 
itself. Whether it was through Muafakat Nasional or by the Kongres Maruah 
Melayu – the central focus of these events may be seeds that have been planted 
to grow into a larger theme of unity, which involves the other races that make 
up our multiracial nation."

He added: "I know, and it is expected, that the racial rhetoric surrounding 
these events have led to the other races feeling sidelined and being attacked, 
shadowing any good intention these events may have aimed to achieve. This 
threatens to unravel the fragility of our society. Instead, we should focus our 
attention on the struggle and determination of the leaders to unite the Malays, 
who represent the majority of our population. Non-Malays, however, must not be 
worried, as we understand that Malay unity cannot come at the expense of the 
unity of all Malaysians, it is purely the foundation of a larger, 
all-encompassing effort to unite our divided country."

Mr. Hussein said: "Malaysia seems to be stuck in a whirlwind of hate speech and 
fake news, fueled by worsening racial relations that both sides of the 
political divide are responsible for. But who must lead the solution? We as the 
political leaders of the country must take charge and realise we need to fix 
this before it gets worse. I admit, this may not be an easy journey, but we 
must persevere. There may be many incidents where lashing out will seem like 
the easiest option, but don't give in. Good sense and sincerity must prevail in 
wanting to see Malaysia move forward. If we, as leaders, truly care about the 
good people of our nation, we must take leadership and heal those who are hurt."

Commenting on the current status of the country's economy, Mr. Hussein said: 
"Admittedly, the economy has also taken a hit due to this political uncertainty 
following the aftermath of the 14th General Elections. Commodity prices are 
falling, unemployment is on the rise and people are not feeling the boost in 
their wallets that they were hoping for. Austerity measures and belt tightening 
only serve as short-term stop gap measures and do not benefit the nation in the 
long run. I believe that whatever policies implemented today will be only be 
overshadowed and not have a positive impact on the people until political 
stability and certainty is restored," adding, "furthermore, we must not 
discount the risks involving security surrounding the country, with unwanted 
forces potentially exploiting our divided society. Threats to national unity, 
combined with a flagging economy, and security threats serve a potent and 
dangerous mix for Malaysia's future."

On the need to chart a new way forward for Malaysia, Mr. Hussein said: "We must 
stop and realise - it is now the time to heal. It will take a lot of courage, 
and decisions made may not be popular – but this is crucial and needs to be 
addressed and deliberated with sense and not emotion. We must do more to create 
a nation, which our children and grandchildren will be grateful to be living 
in. The good people of Malaysia want to see some sense in all this chaos, and 
they must see these efforts as foundations laid down for a brighter future."

He added: "We cannot deny that it has to start somewhere, and the Malays have 
taken a proactive initiative with our own household, but it must not stop 
there. We must be optimistic in bringing a positive narrative forward, to build 
on what has been done to include all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion 
and creed."

Echoing the chant on Malaysia Deserves Better, the former minister urged his 
countrymen: "to work patiently, to unite our fractured nation, to heal the 
divide, and to endure whatever tomorrow will bring." 

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1012796/Mr_Hishammuddin_Hussein.jpg

SOURCE: Office of Hishammuddin Hussein