Oops you did it again, YB!

Our politicians are at it again this time.

With party elections just around the corner, what can we expect from them other than making certain statements which could uplift their popularity at the expense of racial harmony in the name of votes.

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, the front runner for the Umno Youth Chief post, had recently caused uproar when he called for the Government to abolish the vernacular school system to enhance the unity among the people and to check racial polarization.

As expected, his statement invited politicians from any divides coming out in droves to point fingers at him, questioning his rationale for making such a statement to score some political mileage.

I am amazed with the numbers of politicians, especially those from the Barisan Nasional who also took a shot at Mukhriz for his gaffe for they know for sure what the consequences would be should they remain tight lipped.

The result of the March 8 general election is still lingering in these politicians’ mind. So, I do not really blame these politicians for taking up almost all the news space, leaving some more deserving news in the back page.

Mukhriz then came out with clarification few days later for his earlier statement, a trend which it seems to me so popular among our YBs when met with criticisms.

He clarified that he did not call for the vernacular schools to be closed down, but that the system should be one and brushed aside that the issue of closing school arose for that is the last thing he wants.

He was quoted as saying that the school would remain the same physically and it is the system that needs changing where the medium of teaching would eventually be one, which is Bahasa Malaysia, except for Science and Mathematics.

But I am glad that all these have been put down to rest when Prime Minister designate, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak assures that all vernacular schools will continue to exist as long as the Chinese and Indian communities need such a system.

But coming back to the issue, have we ever thought why racial polarization exists in this country which is made up of multi racial and cultural settings?

Is the education system to be blamed for the polarization?

I beg to differ if I may, Mukhriz or any of the YBs! And you know the answer too.

We have to go down to the basic to analyse what is actually going wrong and not to be so quick to sink into opinions that education is the sole factor leading to racial disharmony.

Many of us, when we were young had been told that so and so is a Malay, Chinese or Indian.

Our mind has been preset with this stereotyping that it becomes almost impossible to change, thus making it hard for every Malaysians to connect with each other.

Of course, the protectionist policies which have been seen as double standard by the non-bumiputras, which I do not wish to elaborate further for I do not want to do a RPK, has also contributed to the racial polarization as the non-bumiputras feel that they have been ill treated despite pledging their loyalty to this country.

There are just too many issues which lead to this fiasco which I believe would take a great leader in this country to correct, which I am doubtful that we could see one emerging in any near future.

While the March 8 general election may give some reprieves that racial politics may be diluted further, I am not so optimistic anyhow as the political system in this country is still very much dominated by racialism.

Even a minor issue concerning road signages could be blown up into brouhaha when to many of us, it does not even warrant any of our attention.

But alas, what can we do except to hope for the emergence of a new breed of politicians who could understand what the new generation of Malaysians wants.

Of course, change cannot be done over night but it must start from somewhere, even if it means to let go of certain privileges which have long been enjoyed.

The world is moving at high speed with nations over taking each other mercilessly and it is just so childish and naive of our politicians if they continue harping on communal issues such as education, which is fundamentally the right of every single Malaysians as enshrined in the Constitution.

I am longing to see one day when our politicians could rise to the occasion, not for the wrong reason but for fighting for every Malaysian regardless of one’s background, who could make lives much easier in this trying time of economy recession.

Till then, let us hope that our nation could weather the looming recession in this sorry state of political gaffes.