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KUCHING, June 12: Sarawak’s ‘Segulai Sejalai’ (together in unity) motto would set a good example to steer Peninsular Malaysia away from unending divisive political quarrels over race and religion, says political pundit Dato Peter Minos.
The former Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy info chief said Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s proposal to make the Iban catchphrase a national motto is a wise choice to show that despite having many races, religions and cultures, the people can live with each other in peace and harmony.
“While Sarawakians go ‘segulai sejalai’ where people talk and debate on development progress, our friends in the peninsula are using race and religion for politicking both directly and indirectly.
“When religion and race are politicised, it is bad and dangerous and can be explosive as both racial and religious issues are very sensitive and contentious,” he said in a statement today.
He also said Sarawak is lucky and fortunate where no racial group is too big and too dominant and that each group genuinely needs one another which is a complete opposite of what is happening in West Malaysia.
“We in Sarawak are also fortunate in that, from day one, the leaders of all the races are pretty sensible, fair and reasonable on all matters and wise, always steering away from using racial and religious issues for politicking. This matters and means a lot.
“As fellow Malaysians, we hope our peninsula friends start to see and realise the Sarawak way—the good and wise way of not using race and religion for politicking,” he added. — DayakDaily
