This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on October 5 - 11, 2015.

THE racially-charged events of recent weeks, notably the “Red Shirt” rally of Sept 16 accompanied by the tense exchanges among various interest groups, have drawn out a general sense of pessimism about the state of race relations in the country.

 Ironically, the fears of the different communities in the Malaysian ethnic equation have become amplified because they make each group dwell on the worst case scenario — loss of sovereignty for the Malays and virulent discrimination for the other races.

It is easy to foresee that if this polarisation is not stopped in time, it will increasingly dominate the thinking and actions of Malaysia’s diverse populace.

That would be quite clear to anyone who can feel the pulse of the nation. The problematic point is that each additional episode of inflammatory accusations and defensive responses among the various interest groups tends to reinforce the divisions that set one community apart from another, rather than focusing on the common ground that provides a universal basis for nationhood.

So, it is important to recognise that the apparently legitimate attempts of race-oriented groups to safeguard their communal rights and therefore, their bargaining position, in Malaysia’s socio-political dynamics negatively impact the larger goal of forging unity among its diverse communities.

 This is a crucial point to address in the narrative of the Malaysian nation. The plain fact is that a genuine sense of national identity cannot flourish among us unless each and every citizen can feel confident that the country belongs equally to all its citizens and we can accept that others in our midst are different in terms of their cultural values, practices, identity markers or any number of other characteristics.

 Having these traits should not make a jot of difference to their value as Malaysians.

 It follows therefore that a hardened emotional position about upholding communal rights, ensuring economic and cultural influence and similar divisive ideas is incompatible with the vital project of achieving national unity.

The alternative is to foster an open, inclusive society where everyone can contribute their best towards the common well-being, nurtured by a political system that encourages cooperative enterprise in an environment that is just and compassionate.

To create this reality, it is clear that the subtext of communal politics that is undermining our sense of nationhood must be abandoned.

Indeed, the overly strident emphasis on constitutional guarantees and cultural rights may divert attention away from a dispassionate analysis of whether current programmes that are aimed at achieving national unity by ensuring redistributive justice may have developed systemic weaknesses that prevent them from achieving their stated goals.

So, the time has come for an epic shift in attitudes among Malaysians of different backgrounds to identify less with their communal identities and embrace a more universal concept of citizenship. This would not come a day too soon in an age where our daily lives can quite literally be described as those of global citizens, in virtually all aspects of our experience.

When everything from the information we consume to the lifestyles we lead is so overwhelmingly globalised, it must be peculiar for Malaysians to be stuck in a system of ethnic identification that hardly makes sense in the current century.

It is therefore crucial to recognise that in order to create a harmonious society, ways must be found for people of different backgrounds and persuasions to cooperate to achieve common goals rather than compete for a larger share of the pie.

If Malaysians today wish to bequeath a future full of hope to the coming generations rather than one torn by strife, we have a small window of opportunity to put our hearts and souls into projects that build understanding and fellowship instead of playing the broken record of race and religion that is cutting a deeper and deeper groove in our minds.

A key strategy to adopt is to counter the venom of racism with the antidote of universal fellowship rather than respond to each bite with another in return. When this is done, it breaks the tit-for-tat cycle that only results in an escalation of the problem rather than progress towards a solution.

Although this may appear to be counterintuitive to some, it is the paradoxical secret to achieving transformative change which even some self-improvement gurus acknowledge.

The crux of the issue is whether Malaysians today feel empowered enough to make this change happen, or whether they may inadvertently allow the polarisation of its communities to escalate by failing to correctly identify the roots of the current societal dysfunction and adopt effective solutions.

Whatever is the choice, it is sobering to realise that not taking the right actions to defuse the bomb of disunity may have severe repercussions for the country’s future.

R B Bhattacharjee is associate editor at The Edge Malaysia

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