Excerpt – The Notion of Hospitality

“……The community that has settled upon any piece of land would expect to be recognized and treated as the host to any other community which comes to settle on that same land thereafter, even though the latter is not strictly speaking a guest. Even though the latter community is entitled to be there, the former community would expect to be treated with the appropriate level of courtesy, respect and dignity to be accorded to such a host, according to their own subjective standards and norms. But with that right comes the responsibility to extend graciousness, support and hospitality, to the newer community that is to be hosted. The extent to which this relationship is robust is a function of the circumstances upon which the parties have been brought into this interaction, their behaviour towards each other, and the impact of such interaction….”

“……In time, were each community to know and play their respective roles in furtherance to this notion of hospitality, the role of being the host and being the community to be hosted diminishes. Sooner or later, as mutual respect is shown to each other, and the relationship becomes robust, then the line that separates these roles becomes blurred, except perhaps in specific circumstances. It is at this point that you would begin to see meaningful integration between the communities. When new communities come thereafter, both then will be able to share in the role of host with a sense of harmony and mutual understanding.”

“…Today, many people on all sides of the communal divide take the view that the
social contract must be read as nothing more than a legally binding commitment. That this contract is all about non-Malays making a sacrifice, by way of accepting the
imposition of positive discrimination and affirmative action policiesover a prolonged period in favour of the Malays in order to close the gap in economic disparity,in consideration for equal rights of citizenship.

……………………………………..”

Other Key Themes Of Reset

-Why Bother?
-The Notion of Hospitality
-The Malay Struggle
-Democracy Vs Special Rights
-Communal Prejudice
-Race Politics
-Sailing With The Wind
-Maintaining the Equilibrium
-Meeting the Principles
-The Proposal

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About The Book

Many would blame Malaysia’s current political upheaval on decades of ineptitude, abuse and race-based politics. Although the electoral “tsunami” suggests a rejection of past methods, an alignment on the way forward remains in doubt. RESET examines the fundamentals of Malaysia’s socio-political fabric and delivers an uncompromising analysis of the underlying causes of the nation’s current political crisis. It reveals our collective complicity and explains how, together, we might beat the impasse. RESET is meant for all Malaysians (no matter their political allegiance) who are courageous, willing to call a spade a spade, and want true effective and lasting change, in the name of their children, and those of their fellow countrymen.

Disclaimer

While I fully appreciate and respect the right of free expression, I ask all of you to kindly refrain from using abusive language that might unduly cause offence, or making remarks of a personal nature against anyone or any community. RESET is about charting the way forward for the country, and to do so, we must be able to have a frank and hardnosed discussion on all issues affecting us. But we must be able to have that discussion dispassionately and with civility and respect towards each other if it is going to be a meaningful and constructive engagement.

RESET