Amidst festivities, a call for global harmony

TODAY we celebrate the lights of peace and harmony, away from the darkness of war, conflicts, COVID-19 and extreme climate change.

Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Gawai Dayak Festival, Sabah Harvest Festival, Deepavali, or Baha’i New Year in wartime and during armed conflicts elsewhere are always rather poignant.

In the traditionally troubled parts of the world millions and millions of people will mark the day in absolute darkness, in explicit sufferings, and in intense anxiety. No place is safe. Bombing and destruction with unbelievable loss of innocent lives and property, taking the place of the warmth of family festive joy and happiness, in many corners of the world.

Freedom of worship, a fundamental human right, is not respected. People are persecuted. Billions of people across the globe are now enormously affected by the Covid 19, notably the new sub-variant JN.1 worldwide, and the untenable and unprecedented Climate Change which is the worst in the entire human history.

The latest Climate Change Summit was a disappointment, as it is implicitly clear that the wealthy nations are not prepared to go along into sustainable green energy and development, phasing out the fossil fuels and coal, the root cause of today’s pollution. Most of the rainforests have been mercilessly cut down by a group of borderless businessmen. Even the urban areas are not spared.

A strictly non-business man, a charity worker whom I know intimately, had his personal hundred-foot-hilly 6-acre property flattened, other prime urban properties acquired for a few percent of prevailing market price, while he is busy engrossed in his passion in voluntary charity and environment work.

Today, poverty is incredibly universal even in developed countries. People are finding it difficult to put food on the table for the family. People are losing jobs, small businesses, and stalls are still struggling. Homeless people are found everywhere.

The world is in great turmoil. Unrest, violence, endless protests, man made environmental disasters are the orders of the day!

If Mankind, particularly the wealthy, is not prepared to immediately compromise by making some sacrifices now for the future, the global problems we are confronted with now will be worse than the Great Depression, and the last two world wars put together.

The torrential rains, the uncontrollable floods, extreme heat, wildfires, tsunami, typhoons, droughts, freezing Arctic temperatures, the deadly 366-Day pollution in many countries, landslides, and earthquakes, and so on and so forth are making life untenable.

Everyone suffers, regardless of status, the rich or the poor, the mighty or the humble, the aggressor or the bullied, the enlightened or the uncivilised. Man must change for the better after a few centuries of abuse of the fragile environment and abuse of the dignity of man, especially those from the poorest and least developed corners of the planet earth where human beings were, and still are, treated no better than personal property!

We must all move forward together, and not otherwise into the Dark Ages for the wrong reasons. However, It is a source of immense satisfaction that some institutions and countries are reforming for a better world, and to be more relevant at this time and age. Whatever we do, make the world a better and more peaceful place to live in.

Scandinavian countries are the envy of the world. So is New Zealand. It is a source of immense pride that Sarawak is aspiring to be, and so is Johor. Sarawak is trying, after its people were neglected for a century before the last World War. But drug, opium, gambling were encouraged to contribute to its small economy. Johore in the then Malaya was the first state to open to the world through its farsighted ruler even to this day.

We can get better through good modern and sound education, given to the people to meet the modern and challenging world. We do or we will be left behind. It is imperative that we must also live in harmony with nature and the environment. We must live in peace and harmony with all in the country. We must not just tolerate each other, but accept them. We must learn that “within the four seas we are brothers and sisters.”

We must love each other, and not hate in the name of religious and political beliefs. Nothing is impossible, if we have the will and determination. Invest in the future, in words and in deeds. Together we can build a world which we all can be proud of. Be sincere and never be a hypocrite. Give a helping hand to the poor, the underprivileged, the disabled, the deprived and ostracised, and the minority. We must realise that as long as we are not prepared to change and reform, we will forever remain a less than desired country. We give thanks for being able to celebrate what we believe in, our fundamental human rights, under the full protection of the law.

May I wish the lights of all festive occasions will continue to brighten our beloved county today and always. Merry Christmas to all wherever you may be. God bless this country. God bless our people.

Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon
(The writer is a renowned social worker and environmentalist)