A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN (People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service) ISSN 1394-5726

Online Publisher:          Contents provided by:	STATE SECRETARY'S VIEW Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hj Hamid Bugo Celebrate, not tolerate Diversity It used to be that during the early days of our independence, our rallying cry was the need for tolerance. We urged to learn to accept and appreciate each other's cultural practices, traditions and beliefs. The call for tolerance was necessary to impress upon us that we need each other; that we need to work together to fulfill our aspirations for our young, newly independent nation. Thirty five years hence and we could indeed proudly lay claim to having forged a strongly united and closely knit society among our diverse ethnic groups. We ahve vanquished the negative sentiments of fear and mistrust of others that normally confront a society of differing beliefs, traditions and cultural practices. The Chief Minister has said during the recently-held "Cultural Symposium" that "racial barriers are as high as our fears. But as we got to know each other, these barriers emanating from fear has come down. With enhanced understanding and appreciation of each other's strengths and limitaions, we now see that we are all equal, with equal access to opportunities to improve our lives. This acceptance of each other's equal rights and access to opportunities has led us to sharing and acquiring better values from our respective cultures; and with the healthy relationship among us, we now have a greater capacity to work for a better future for us all." As the saying goes "Familiarity breeds acceptance, not contempt." And so, at this stage of our history, I believe that we have reached that crucial moment when we need to go beyond "toleration." While the call for toleration was necessary during the early days of our independence, it somehow implied a lifeboat argument. That we need to tolerate each other because we are stuck with each other. That we simply have no choice. It was something that we needed when we were just learning to take our first fledgling steps as an independent nation. But if we do not move on beyond toleration, we run the risk of at best achieving grudging cooperation and not cohesive teamwork. Being simply tolerated falls short of the human needs for recognition and appreciation. What everyone wants, needs and deserve is respect. Respect for his person, his rights and his properties. We should now zealously accept the idea that the diversity of our State is something to be respected and and celebrated, not simply to be tolerated. We work together, live together, and respect each other not beccause we are obliged to but because it is right. A well-known American columnist, Ellen Goodman, in describing what "graceful exit" means, wrote thus: "There's a trick to the graceful exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over - and let it go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sence of future, a belief that every exit line is and entry, that we are moving on ..." I believe that it is now time for us to allow "mere toleration of our diversity" a graceful exit. Instead, let us welcome the idea and the reality of "celebrating our diversity" as we move towards full maturity as an independent nation.
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