Understanding Malaysian Through History

Talk about Social Contract, what does it means to you? Refer to www.pmr.penerangan.gov.my, "Kontrak sosial adalah persetujuan yang dicapai sebelum merdeka di kalangan para pemimpin Melayu, Cina dan India dan parti-parti yang mereka wakili, UMNO, MCA dan MIC. Bagaimanapun, kontrak sosial harus dianggap sebagai satu persetujuan di kalangan masyarakat berbilang kaum, bukan hanya pemimpin atau kumpulan elit tertentu. Permuafakatan itu mendapat sokongan rakyat sebagaimana yang terbukti melalui kemenangan Perikatan dalam pilihan raya 1955. Rakyat perlu memahami fakta sejarah bahawa kontrak sosial dicapai melalui proses muafakat dan musyawarah.".

That was the Social Contract which had made in 1955 for our country, between the Malays, bumiputera and the non-Malays. Many had claims that the Social Contract is an outdated system. But come to think of that, how many of us actually read all the article about Social Contract and understand the history of Social Contract? It wasn't just an agreement between the races but it also symbolize the harmony that the races that want to build up for the goods of this country.

The specialties that the Malays own had been questioned, the topic had been brought up to make each another raising up their voice about this country. Is this Social Contract important? For me, it is important. The importance is not in its content but the history of making it. The agreement shows how the non-Malays are accepted in the beginning of Merdeka, it shows how the non-Malays and Malays live together and tolerating each other, most important it shows the give and takes between the races.

According to the Dr Abdul Aziz, he said that the present generation should understand the Social Contract but not expected to carry on with the old baggage. I totally agree with him. The youngster should understand the history of the country, as a Malaysian, we should take the effort of knowing our own country, the importance of living together under the same roof but not questioning each other rights. Its no longer 1955, we are now living in the world of technologies, with so much education chances, we shouldn't live in the past, but take the lesson from the past and live in the present with better decision.

Before Social Contract, theres no Malaysians, which Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic which are now known as Malaysians. The Malaysians live peacefully with the Social Contract for the past 53 years, no one had a doubt on it. Its not about the specialties of the Malays and bumiputera, its not about getting the declare as a residence of Malaysia, its all about building up a harmony country, where we Malaysians remain as Malaysians without a single doubt in our head.

I strongly believe that if only the present generation is expose to the history of the country, they will understand more about the country instead of being a "blind" Malaysian.

CHEAH YEE MUN

UTeM, 2010