Negara-Ku a non-confrontational movement to tackle conflicts, say founders

The Negara-Ku movement is to bring Malaysians together to ensure a peaceful co-existence and counter negative developments that threaten to tear society apart, says its patron Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.

The new people's movement was launched yesterday with the support of 68 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) but has also received brickbats from fringe groups such as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).

“Our biggest challenge is reaching out to Malaysians, giving them information, not just information about the movement but we also want to dispel untruths, rumours and unfair statements,” the former Bersih co-chairman told The Malaysian Insider.

The movement will not be confrontational in nature, and one of its main aims is to build a peaceful and prosperous nation within the framework of the Federal Constitution, explained the movement’s steering committee chief Zaid Kamaruddin.

"We will bank on civil society organisations to use their networks to reach out to people,” said Zaid, who is vice-president of Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia – a Muslim NGO.

“I want to say that we are not going against anybody, we are not against politicians, we just want to go back to basics,” he added.

The basics as listed in Negara-Ku's charter are the Federal Constitution, Malaysia Agreement and the Rukunegara.

Zaid said it was crucial to bring Malaysians together again due to worrying developments in the country over the past year.

“We have come to a stage where people are challenging each other. If cool heads don't prevail, we will be in trouble," he said.

Negara-Ku is the brainchild of Zaid and endorsed by 68 civil society groups and NGOs. Its other patrons are national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who was co-chair of Bersih, and former vice-chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Tan Sri Simon Sipaun.

At the launch yesterday, Samad had said that ethno-centric and race-based politics as well as communally-minded politicians continued to derail the process of inclusive nation-building and the formation of a Bangsa Malaysia national identity.

He had also said that religion was increasingly being used as a main marker of identity, and as a boundary maintenance mechanism to polarise the people.

He had said the manipulation of race, ethnicity and religion have resulted in increasing intolerance, bigotry and extremism.

"There is also an emerging sub-culture of political violence, these are symptomatic of dangerous undercurrents in our society," Samad had said.

He had added that the state, by "default or design", had failed to address these developments.

As such, Ambiga said, the movement seeks to give people the correct information to meet the challenges facing Malaysian society.

This will be done though the use of videos, social media and forums and talks “to get people to listen, to question and to think”, she added.

“Our future is being eroded by selfish politicians and people who have personal interest, and who are not thinking of the nation,” said the prominent lawyer who was a former Bar Council chairman.

She said she was horrified by the lack of leadership following last year’s general election.

“People expected some stability after the election and some positive leadership but we haven't seen it.

“The constant personal attacks against certain groups and races are shocking... how dare they talk to citizens that way.

“When the leaders come out and say certain things, my question to them is: you are in charge, if you say the country is facing problems, please account to me why that is happening because you are in charge.”

When asked if the new movement could culminate into a rally like Bersih, Ambiga said: “That is not something we are looking at for now, our present aim is to educate.

“We are open to ideas, and we may have differences of opinion on many issues but that does not matter as we are united on the fundamentals of this movement.

“We urge Malaysians to come on board as long as you share this vision because the whole point about this nation is that we have differences; we respect the differences, we respect the different points of view but we will not waver from the main cause,” she added. – July 11, 2014.