Is 'Vanakkam' and 'Nandri' enough?

News headlines and opinion pieces in the past few weeks have been rather telling as we hurtle to another anniversary of Merdeka.

Politicians and even journalists are trading barbs, calling one another racists - which is really the flip side of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's 1 Malaysia slogan.

But the prime minister has remained above the fray. In fact, he spent part of the weekend visiting Batu Caves, the first sitting prime minister to do so. Indian Malaysians were happy as he gave out some goodies and said he would mull other requests.

Yes, Najib has flipped chapatis in a Sikh gurdwara, sipped some coffee in Brickfields or rather Little India and has now toured Batu Caves, complete with a giant garland that could make it to the Malaysian Book of Records.

His visits to these places dominated by the Indians have been rich with symbolism.

But has anything really changed since the last general election?

Yes. And no.

The five Hindraf leaders are free, some setting up political parties and continuing to harangue governments of the day on multifarious issues with the latest being the KampungBuah Pala issue.

So be it Barisan or Pakatan, they will bite and try to get what they want in return for their support.

But other things have not changed. Malaysians still don't feel equal in this nation that will soon be 52. Both the coalitions pay lip-service to mutual respect for one another, each vociferous about their communal rights and wrongs of the other party.

As for the Indian Malaysians, getting 15 per cent of this or that (although double their percentage in population terms) might seem good but there lies the death of meritocracy, there lies the crutch that will hobble and cripple them as equal members of the Malaysian nation.

Would it be so easy to appease every Malaysian with a visit, a smile, a “Vanakkam”, a “Nandri” and let bygones be bygones? A hello, a thank you and walk away after that and tick the boxes that say 1 Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.

Should we let the inequality, racism and divisiveness continue bubbling to keep Malaysians separate and easier to manage?

Have we seen anything that has said People First since April 3, 2009?

1 Malaysia Unit Trusts? Isn't that our money that they allow us to invest in the unit trust at a time when there is a wide range of trusts and REITS?

Have we seen anything that has said Performance Now since April 3,

2009? Has the economy improved or have we decided to debate about beer sales and the infallibility of one's coalitions vis-a-vis the rival's?

Have we seen anything 1 Malaysia? Is “Vanakkam” and “Nandri” enough?

The Malaysian Insider