Sarawak chief minister warns of rising extremism, tells moderate majority to reclaim country
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem has warned of rising extremism in the country, blaming it on people who have forgotten the social contracts the country's early political leaders had thrashed out and the “moderate route” which they took.
Speaking to young Barisan Nasional leaders at the opening of their three-day retreat in Kuching last night, Adenan called on the moderates “who are the silent majority” to speak up and be more assertive to reclaim the country from extremists.
“In a multiracial, multi-religious country like Malaysia, you can't afford to be extreme. BN could rule the country easily before because we took the moderate route,” Adenan said.
Pointing out that racial and religious extremism is found on both sides of the political divide, the 70 year-old Adenan asked aspiring BN leaders how many of them knew the social contract on the position of the Malays and the Malay language when touching on the slur made by racial extremists that Malaysian Chinese are “pendatang” (immigrants).
“They are not written in the (Federal) Constitution,” he said as he narrated the deal made by former MCA president Tun Tan Cheng Lock that gave automatic citizenship to the millions of Chinese and Indians born in Malaysia in return for other races giving recognition to the position of the Malays and the Malay language in the federation of Malaysia.
“They compromised. It worked.”
In a remark directed at BN youths from the peninsula, Adenan said “people from Malaya have something to learn from us (in Sarawak)”.
“In Sarawak we have the same family members who are Christians, Muslims and Buddhists under the same roof. They don’t quarrel and get along well,” he said.
Calling for the moderates to speak up, Adenan said they had no alternative but to get out of the sandwich created by the extremists from opposing political camps.
“Moderation has sustained us.
“Malaysia doesn't belong to you or me alone. This is our country.
“Not my country, not your country but our country.
“Reclaim it.”
The three-day retreat was attended by youth wing members from all 13 BN component parties. – November 22, 2014.
