When leaders have such low mentality, what can we expect?

I remember with disgust how the one time prime minister of my country telling the ruling party to support the non-government organisation, PERKASA, otherwise it would lose votes in the coming election. There would have been nothing wrong with suggesting such a move as all political parties consider the garnering of votes very essential to its existence except for the fact that this NGO has been very vocal in its divisive racial statements and is so unethical to the extend of spreading lies to get one community to fear other communities taking over political power which can never be for the opposition consists of just as many Malays as the ruling party.

This ex-prime minister who is the sponsor of PERKASA apparently wants its chairman to spread this lie often enough to have people believe it is the truth. Indirectly, he is helping to incite hatred among the people with so much racial talk.

Anyone would have thought the unity, development and welfare of a country is top priority and nothing should be allowed to stand in its way. Yet, the very leaders we hope to lead the whole country to a greater future are still playing community politics. It is sad indeed that we search but could not see leaders who think of themselves as leaders of a nation and not just a community even though they belong to a certain community. Wearing half-heartedly the shoes of national leadership but constantly playing the role of community leaders in order to achieve popularity; how is the country ever to reach the so much dreamt of developed nation status? The country's wealth is available, the structures are in place but human resources are never fully utilised because of this community mentality which is constantly planning mostly for the development of only one community, placing the reign of power and decision only in the hands of this community while the minority awaits on the side pavements of the country hoping a time will come when they can fully participate in the country's development as accepted brothers and sisters, not step children.

The minority has waited long and patiently and there was just no way out as its leaders think merely of their positions; shaking the hands of those in power, proud to hold whatever was granted them, secretly refusing to fight for the rights of the people they represent while outwardly pretending to do so. Even such pretenses did once in while cut into the pride of their masters and when rebuked, would even rephrase their words to appease such masters.

Well, will there ever be a united nation in the true sense of the word? Superficially yes! Even today, the nation is considered united although the country is divided into groups with different rights although all of them are in every sense citizens, patriotic citizens who will be expected to defend this nation when the need arises. When you, a minority achieves something great, a Malaysian has done it, when it comes to demands to be treated equal, it is "If you don't like the situation here, you can go back to your hometown." After all, "The Chinese came as .....and the Indians with their ........look like ....." After 53 years of independence, we talk worse than when our ancestors such as Parameswara, Hang Tuah, Admiral Chen Ho and Hang Li Po first landed in Malaya. In those days, they knew how to show respect because all of them were immigrants. Today, they have forgotten their roots and believe the lies our politicians tell us.

So something has to happen or we will forever be stuck in this mud-hole.