... as with their role in public institutions, non-Malays have some legitimate grievances about the lack of recognition of their contributions to the development of literature and the arts. ... Malay leaders and Malay society as a whole should be more forthcoming in rewarding the accomplishments of these non-Malay writers, artists and singers, especially when their medium of expression is Bahasa Malaysia, the language of the land.One of the recommendations made in Dr. Chandra Muzaffar's* op-ed piece, Ways to Understand the Other, in today's New Straits Times. He discusses ways that the different communities of Malaysia can "reduce mutual distrust and forge better inter-ethnic ties".
One of the saddest things for me is to see our writers achieving recognition overseas and with readers locally, but receiving no official recognition of their quite amazing achievements. Any other country would be hanging the bunting out ...
*Dr Chandra Muzaffar is president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and Professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia
