Multiculturalism has been forged in our history, and while politicians may fudge the plot sometimes, its spirit lives on in the hearts of the people.
AT a time when the political air is filled with a toxic race and religion narrative, the recent message from Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah is most timely and appropriate.
Bestowing the title of Royal Artist on famous cartoonist Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid, the Perak Ruler praised Lat, as he is popularly known, for highlighting multiculturalism in his caricatures.
Indeed, we should be celebrating our diversity because it is our asset and strength.
The beauty of Malaysia is how all of us have been able to live together peacefully after six decades of Independence, except for a blot in our history.
The country isn’t perfect, but this is a peaceful place where the people have a degree of tolerance and restraint.
If you take away the politicians, most of us are thankful to be in Malaysia, a truly blessed country, and certainly it pains us when politicians continuously drag this nation down.
Malaysia has a serious image problem now. The endless political uncertainties will not boost our standing in the eyes of investors as the trajectory continues to slide.
The world has no patience waiting for us to get our act together as we grab headlines for the wrong reasons.
What messages are we sending the world when some of us are consumed by the length of our shorts or skirts and whether we should have concerts?
Meanwhile, the politics of fear will not help anyone, especially the predominantly Malay majority, which these selfish, hypocritical politicians claim to fight for.
Amidst the doom and gloom, the Sultan of Perak has rightly sent the message that Lat’s caricatures have revealed the truth of living in a multiracial society.
Sultan Nazrin said that Mohd Nor’s work carried a clear message – people of diverse backgrounds instinctively live in peace and harmony in a spirit of mutual respect.
“Diverse people do not harbour prejudice towards one another due to their differences in race, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and language proficiency,” he said in his opening speech at the Lat House Gallery at Jalan Bemban on Saturday.
“Through his casual sketches, Mohd Nor has managed to capture the harmonic essence of life in a pluralist society.
“His caricatures reveal the truths of living in a society made up of different races, religions, cultures, and languages,” said Sultan Nazrin.
He said Mohd Nor sees the differences between people as a national asset and treasure of immense value, emphasising the shared experiences of a multiethnic society.
“He emphasises the shared experiences of these multiethnic members of society, from the joy felt in wedding ceremonies to the exuberance of festive celebrations, to being in a school environment or getting caught in traffic jams, to enjoying food at a restaurant, among others,” said Sultan Nazrin.
This is what makes Malaysia special and unique. As one news article in the New Straits Times rightly described, Lat’s hilarious cartoons have illustrated and even lampooned Malaysia’s social and political scenes.
Lat has been able to feature the ‘’Malaysiana’’ which we ‘’long for – where times were simpler and people were kinder to each other”, and ‘’he represented the kind of Malaysia we seem to be missing these days.’’
Writer Elena Koshy rightly said it was a time ‘’when friendships were forged beyond the barriers of race, religion, or politics,’’ and perhaps it was a time when we didn’t allow politicians to hijack our political direction.
Our Founding Fathers were more progressive, open-minded and moderate, for sure.
As many of us lose faith in our politicians, we can only turn to our Rulers.
Not everyone of the Rulers has spoken up, at least not openly and publicly. Perhaps mindful of their limited roles as constitutional monarchs, the country hopes they will instil common sense in the politicians.
But the Sultan of Selangor and the Sultan of Johor have certainly been consistent. Both have endeared themselves to Malaysia for their readiness to speak up on issues espoused by certain religious figures.
While they are the Malay Rulers, and guardians of Islam, most of us, the non-Muslims, also see them as our protectors when our rights have been impinged on or threatened.
Although the royal institutions date back to the feudal era, our Rulers have shown they are much more progressive than our politicians, who have lost the plot.
