Fairland Sarawak
I remember four decades ago, when the Land Of Hornbill was still under British colony, we grew up in a diverse community with a mixture of culture in our neighborhood. There was no racial tension like what it is felt now in the country. I also remember that my neighbor was a Malay family who reared a lot of ducks for sale. My mum cannot speak Malay but we managed to stay as neighbors and my mum could even buy ducks from them through sign language. What a beautiful scenery it is!
Since independence, initially the influence of the colonization still exists. That is the reason it took about ten years for the Federal Government to implement the National Education Policy, i.e. to change the medium of instruction in school from English to Malay. In 2003, when Dr. Tun Mahathir ordered to change to PPSMI, Sarawak is at her advantage as teachers of age about 35 years are still competent in the language whereas it creates a huge impact to our Semenanjung counterpart where their teachers of age below 45 are unable to deliver a lesson in BI. The elites in the country favour PPSMI to MBMMBI. However, the policy has changed and we have no choice but to carry out our duty as a government servant.
Throughout these years, Federal Government impose integration programme and many West Malaysian teachers are sent here. Education is the greatest tool to make a change. If education is for the better mutual understanding of the people of Sarawak, it is a very good move. However, what has been done to the Sarawak naïve people when racial polarization has started to take its chapter? If I look at the scenario in West Malaysia, it is very much worse than what is in Sarawak. I just pray hard it won't happen in Sarawak but since it is a national agenda, we are just left powerless. I foresee Sarawak in later years will be as bad as West Malaysia. It is such a pity that our land with its indigenous people are exploited and racial polarization starts sprouting and I am quite convinced that the harm is beyond repair if nothing is done to reconcile.
In the past, Sarawak is a state where the tolerance in religion is not a problem. Christians and Muslims and Buddhists can stay together without grudges. Throughout these years of national integration, what has happened? I do not want our beloved land to change its course. I do not want to see misunderstanding among the races who has once been living together peacefully. I wish the authority concerned think tactfully over the policy to ponder what is wrong. I believe everyone wants peace and no one wants to live in fear and disharmony.
With the call from the people with the support from the Government, I wish to see the autonomy of Sarawak to materialize.
Since independence, initially the influence of the colonization still exists. That is the reason it took about ten years for the Federal Government to implement the National Education Policy, i.e. to change the medium of instruction in school from English to Malay. In 2003, when Dr. Tun Mahathir ordered to change to PPSMI, Sarawak is at her advantage as teachers of age about 35 years are still competent in the language whereas it creates a huge impact to our Semenanjung counterpart where their teachers of age below 45 are unable to deliver a lesson in BI. The elites in the country favour PPSMI to MBMMBI. However, the policy has changed and we have no choice but to carry out our duty as a government servant.
Throughout these years, Federal Government impose integration programme and many West Malaysian teachers are sent here. Education is the greatest tool to make a change. If education is for the better mutual understanding of the people of Sarawak, it is a very good move. However, what has been done to the Sarawak naïve people when racial polarization has started to take its chapter? If I look at the scenario in West Malaysia, it is very much worse than what is in Sarawak. I just pray hard it won't happen in Sarawak but since it is a national agenda, we are just left powerless. I foresee Sarawak in later years will be as bad as West Malaysia. It is such a pity that our land with its indigenous people are exploited and racial polarization starts sprouting and I am quite convinced that the harm is beyond repair if nothing is done to reconcile.
In the past, Sarawak is a state where the tolerance in religion is not a problem. Christians and Muslims and Buddhists can stay together without grudges. Throughout these years of national integration, what has happened? I do not want our beloved land to change its course. I do not want to see misunderstanding among the races who has once been living together peacefully. I wish the authority concerned think tactfully over the policy to ponder what is wrong. I believe everyone wants peace and no one wants to live in fear and disharmony.
With the call from the people with the support from the Government, I wish to see the autonomy of Sarawak to materialize.
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