1Malaysia for all, all for 1Malaysia

This column is about a complex idea about spiritual ontology. To most people combining the two ideas of \’ontos\’ and \’logos\’ is already complex enough, what more with making all of this spiritual, or \’of the spirit\’.

In scriptures, matters of the spirit are often referred to as matters of the heart.

The technical term \’spirit\’ is usually founded or translated from the concept of \’breath\’ or \’air.\’

For example, in the creation of Adam, the scriptures declare that God \’breathed life into Adam.\’

Therefore, every so often, this word breath is equated to life.

Therefore, when one dies, we say that the person gave up his spirit. In Malay the same concept is called \’roh\’, and is also translated as spirit.

Any spiritual ontology is therefore ephemeral and more internal than external in form and nature.

It is spiritual not material.

Religion is often the outward expressions of a spiritual ontology. Any ontology is a theory of the nature of reality; what we humans define real and unreal.

Scientology has become a study of matter and material things; not of human nature and spiritual matters.

Scientific methods of empirical investigation lead one to verify and assert only the nature of material things.

Such investigations are therefore amenable only to the material and verifiable world.

The spiritual world is outside of such scientific investigation and assertion.

Reason therefore has its limitations as a means of rational investigation applying scientific methods.

What is non-reasonable can still be spiritual. But it is not unreasonable.

The spiritual may exist outside the nature of human reason.

Spiritual verification may then need experience of multi-dimensional knowing, not merely rational deductions.

A Malaysian dream for all

Premised on the above, Prime Minister Najib Razak\’s concept of 1Malaysia is a spiritual and ontological statement about his hope for the future of Malaysia.

It is not just a mere \’espoused theory of one politician\’, who happens to be prime minister of the country.

It is also the statement of hope for the nation.

It is also the coining framework of his leadership philosophy and agenda.

Such ideas must be expressed in words for the purpose of communication.

Ideas are also ideals that need to be communicated to ordinary citizens, party followers, opponents, and uninvolved others like foreign investors and non-Malaysian observers.

Therefore, when a prime minister speaks one assumes that the elected leader of the nation is speaking and articulating this hope and vision for the future.

US President Obama did this in classic and traditional American Presidential Address finesse.

Some say he has even upped the ante on Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy.

Martin Luther King Jr\’s \’I have a Dream\’ is of course probably a benchmark for all such speeches.

They are a statement of hope and a vision of a new future.

And, as someone put it, \’because Abraham Lincoln took a stand, Rossa Parks sat down and refused to move, and because she refused to stand, Martin Luther marched, and because Martin Luther walked President Obama could run and because he ran, today we have made history of the first Black President of the United States of America.\’

Najib too has a dream: of one people, one nation and 1Malaysia.

Is Najib only dreaming? Each of these concepts of ideas and ideals need to be clearly articulated, sold, bought and internalized so that the very person Najib seeks to lead will empathize with his dream.

Tunku Abdul Rahman also had a dream; of one united Malay Peninsula of 11 states under his banner of \’Merdeka!\’

That became a reality on 31st August 1957. But there were still 9 Malay Rulers and two Straits Settlements and one new Federation.

One for all, all for one

Then it became Malaysia; a newer vision of four different states but with one overarching vision of a Federal system of governance and democratic institutions.

But, after one state left, there are now three states of the Malaysian Federation.

Then the one dominated the other two and evolved a lopsided marriage of unequal partners.

Finally, we have a 1Malaysia vision; hopefully a true and real dream of a united nation with one vision, one hope and one people.

1Malaysia must mean a one Malaysia. It cannot mean 1 Malaysia but with two or three systems of governance and rules of law.

It cannot mean 1Malaysia but 9 different systems of Syariah Laws.

It cannot be one system with three language medium schools which we call the one education system.

I like the 1Malaysia concept even more than the Bangsa Malaysia concept because the latter is a sociological ideal whereas the former is an alphanumerical composite of both numbers and words.

The word Malaysia can be a historic term of art; and which actually may have its roots in European languages and not Malay.

The Bahasa Melayu language would never coin Malaysia, if I understand language etymology.

I stand to be corrected though. The number 1 is an integer and which will hold us together through the very concepts of both integration and integrity from mathematics, an exacting science.

Not only must the nation of Malaysia be integrated as one people with one vision but we must do it with full integrity.

Full integrity means standing upright and uncompromisingly like the Flagpole at the Dataran Merdeka.

Unless the flagpole stands 90 degree upright, the National Flag cannot flutter and catch the wind of the spirit of the nation.

The Rule of Law must therefore mean one rule and one law.

That is Najib\’s and his government\’s biggest challenge.

One vision, mission agenda

Post March 3 2008, post the Tsunami wave that hit Malaysia, and post the current global economic crisis, the 1Malaysia slogan must capture hearts and minds of the ordinary Malaysians and direct it towards this united national vision beyond the political aspirations of the \’for or against worldview\’ of the current established systems of governance.

I am still deeply disappointed that 1Malaysia means two systems of justice; one for the ruling class whether under the Syariah system or normal civil law systems and another for the ordinary citizens.

Even when the judges and our judicial systems are without blind justice, we still have a serious problem of integration with integrity and 1Malaysia.

You see, for me, it all boils down to spiritual ontology; a worldview of life for life.

There is only one God, whatever His name.

That one God cannot have two systems of justice.

One for us and another for them.

Likewise we cannot have a 1Malaysia if we cannot integrate with integrity under our existing Rule of Law.

Anyone with knowledge and wisdom would know when Godly principles are violated; for that sense of dignity and destiny God was imbibed in each of us when He created us in His Image.

May God help the PM as he seeks more than 100 days to really show and make a difference?

The positive thing is he has been trying very hard.

He appears sincere with his vision and agenda.