Ali, Ah Chong and Raju.
They were kept apart by learning environments but connected by the education syllabus. Hence, they learned the same contents from the History textbooks. Subsequently, a congruent historical perception formed. History links us to our past and bridge us towards the future. Although a new born child will not be able to witness the horror of World War, history falls into place and plays a pivotal role reminding him the immense misery inflicted by these dark events.
The same textbook Ali(s), Ah Chong(s) and Raju(s) shared has deprived them from witnessing history themselves.
In Secondary Four, the syllabus touched on ancient civilizations meagrely. Then, the civilization of Islam has dominated more than half of the book. The origin of other world religions is a short read-through of two pages, while the formation of Islam was well elaborated in two chapters. The major events in Europe was least mentioned.
In Secondary Five, the formation of the country was encompassed.
WORLD WAR TWO
World War Two was only mentioned on the surface. D-Day and the Holocaust were omitted altogether. Many of us do not realize that the World War is the turning point of our civilization. The World War was the spark of technology and education boom. It was beyond World War, humans shared a more meaningful insight on humanity.
What do we know about World War Two? Yeah, the Japanese invaded Tanah Melayu. British came back. Communists. Kazaam. Independence.
Our textbooks and low-reading-rate deprive us from understanding and emphatizing.
Have we understood why the Germans started the war? Treaty of Versailles?
Have we read true stories of Germans who are forced to slain their Allied friends for the sake of his family and future generation?
Why do we deny the Holocaust just because we established a doctrine premise that all Jews are knaive and deceptive? Stereotyping?
31st of August 1957 AND 13th of May 1969
These are the only dates which most Malaysians will remember. From these two checkpoints onward, almost everything is non-relevant.
At one point post-independence, Malaysia was surging ahead and declared herself as the "New Tiger of Asia". Today, we are surpassed by the likes of Taiwan and soon Vietnam. We are still complimenting ourselves that we had achieved so much since the 31st of August 1957. Yet, we fail to remember the 29th of August 1995 and the most important essence of the Sixth Malaysian Plan. We have been taking so much from past that we have yet to move on.
We cannot deny the fact that birds of the same feather flock together.
Think.
What was first picture that comes into your head? The Ali(s) mixing only with Ali(s)? Or Raju(s) mixing only with Raju(s)? This is where we are failing. The national identity is almost mytiscal.
One of the drawbacks come from the textbooks themselves. Muslims form a superiority complex as their religion’s chronology is vividly explained while the rest are left in dillussion. Some of the rests are able to take this as opportunity to learn while the remaining will observe the scenario as injustice.
When Ali and Ah Chong have a disagreement, one of the main cards to be played is the 13th of May 1969. The disagreement is almost non-existent at the first place. But when superiority complex spars with the call for parity, things turn ugly.
The failure to see beyond our own anchestral history and move on from it - one of the dilemmas that we will face, for a long time.
It all starts with empathy.
