Utopia

The Sunday Star at page N4 had this news piece - "Working towards National Unity". It is reported :- "The Prime Minister said national unity could not be attained if the approach was not based on reality but on an Utopian ideal which did not take into account contemporary sensitivities and realities".

What is the reality facing the nation now? Perhaps the PM is still talking about the reality of racial politics and the need for it to exist so that a few "Umnoputras" can get richer and become billionaires or millionaires? Or so that only a minority rich can continue to enjoy Utopia in this land at the expense of the majority? Are we still talking about policies to make more malay millionaires or billionaires so that the Malays always enjoy 'Ketuanan Melayu"? Do we still want policies that make the Chinese, Indians and the lain-lain feel like they are second class citizens in their own country? The reality in my mind is that national unity can only be achieved when the government has a policy that brings the greatest possible happiness to ALL peoples of the nation irrespective of race, creed, sex or colour.

Perhaps when he says 'contemporary sensitivities and realities' he means the sensitivities and realities of the Umnoputras must be taken into consideration. Or that only an Utopia that takes into account Umnoputras' sensitivities and realities can bring about national unity? Either way i say he is ignorant of the realities facing the country today. The people are fed up of racial politics as is evident from the last elections and last few by elections. They want justice and equal distribution of wealth to all. They want transparency, good governance and fairness in the administration of the country.

In my mind ALL people are most sensitive to happiness and will happily want to realize it in their lives. And to realize this goal, racial politics in all its forms must be abolished. Racial politics cause distrust, injustice and division and as the great Nazarene taught :- "a house divided against itself cannot stand". Racial politics has been manipulated by unscupulous leaders to stay in power and create Utopia for only a few- those connected to those in power while creating Dystopia - a totalitarian and repressive society for the rest of the people.

The Government should endeavor to work towards the ideal of an Utopia for ALL- 'Utopia' (a term coined by Saint Thomas More) means an ideal community or society. A policy of utilitarianism could just work when implemented rightly and wisely. Utilitarianism would require that all moral, social and political actions shall direct towards achieving for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. What brings more unity than ensuring happiness reaches to all, making sure all are treated with respect and fairly, ensuring that all the resources and wealth of the nation be accessible and distributed fairly and equally to ALL and not only to a few billionaires and millionaires. Abolish greed and selfishness. That should be the new economic policy. Follow the Islamic policy of a just and fair society- to my mind this is Utopia. Let us have religious tolerance and work towards the happiness and goodness of all. If the Islamic policy came from God, surely it is meant to bring about the greatest happiness and goodness to all - it must have elements of utilitarianism.

In the golden rule of the great Nazarene we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility. To do as one would be done by, and to love one's neighbor as oneself constitutes the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality. Utility would enjoin that laws and social arrangements be placed to promote the happiness or the interest of the whole. It would enjoin that education and opinion, which have a vast power over human character, be used to establish in the mind of every individual an indissoluble association between his own happiness and the good of the whole. It would implement a policy to implant the impulse to promote the general good in every individual. It would do away with nepotism, cronysim and racial politics. Utopia should be the PM's ideal. Policies of Utilitarianism the way to achieve it. He should not lay limitations to the ideal. Let us bring about an economic utopia, a political utopia, a religious utopia, a scientifical and technological utopia etc. After all, we coined the phrase "Malaysia Boleh" didn't we? Let us create a Utopian society in this beloved land of ours.