A Plea for Empathy: The Quest for Malaysian Unity

Author: Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

Language: English

Price: RM 39.20

This is a compilation in book form of Dr. Chandra Muzaffar’s articles on national unity written over a period of 34 years. Issues on national unity have been among his most passionate concerns from his secondary school days. His articles have appeared in newspapers, popular magazines, academic journals and books published at home and abroad.

However, the present volume focuses exclusively upon national unity and covers a much wider range of topics. He looks at language, culture, religion, the economy, politics, human rights, education, ethnic communication, ethnic conflict, and trends in ethnic relations over the decades. While the book does not include all my writings on national unity in the English language – there have also been many articles in Malay – this collection embodies the essence of my thoughts on the causes of disunity and the solutions that are possible at this juncture of the Malaysian journey towards nationhood.

To put it differently, the analysis of the ethnic situation in the country, and some of the remedies that we should seek, are important dimensions of this work. It also offers some insights into how ethnic challenges have emerged and evolved over a long period of time. The perennial and the transient interaction among the different communities become obvious as we move from chapter to chapter. At the same time, we catch a glimpse of the complexity of the Malaysian ethnic landscape.

There is perhaps something else that this book will reveal to the reader. It will show that Dr. Chandra’s fundamental perspectives on national unity in Malaysia have not changed since the early seventies. He argues that at a basic psychological level, there is very little empathy between community X for the hopes and fears of community Y