Malaysia is multiracial, we all know that and I believe it is a norm for ordinary Malaysian citizens to sit together over coffee and talk about the weather. Take a trip into the rural areas and you will see what I mean. There is no distinction of race or religion, instead there is just the notion of everyone is a neighbor.

Go into the interior of Sarawak and you will find Chinese men speaking in Iban, I've even met Malays talking Iban and mingling freely among the longhouse folks. I've got Chinese relatives who are the nicest people in the world, Malay relatives who enjoy a good chat and Indian friends who just want to have a good time. We all have no issues when it comes to spending time together or just living together.

The picture of Bangsa Malaysia is true to form in the rural areas of Malaysia. I've spent time living in Perlis and I see this too. There is no issues involve when people of different race and religion want to live together. Malaysians, by nature, are peaceable and simple people. I've spent time with Malaysian Thais living in Kedah, who identify themselves as Malaysians rather than Thai. Some of these foreigners are more Malaysian than Malaysians themselves.

Bangsa Malaysia is alive and well.

Simple folks living life beyond the complexity of systems and ideology.

Yet it is politics that stain all this. Politics is like a virus which infiltrates the simplicity of life and creates tension. UMNO and PAS splits the Malay community along racial and religious lines. MCA and DAP seem to champion the ideas of an independent Chinese oppose to anything of a certain religion. MIC has done little in championing the Indian community. Politics stain the obvious, complicates the natural and creates conflict.

Politics create quotas in all levels of society from education to employment. We hear political parties championing "rights" of their respective communities but who is championing the Rights of Malaysians?

Politicians have politicize every aspect of everyday life in Malaysia. From the language used on road-signs, the type of cars to buy, varsity placements, freedom of speech, police arrests - the list goes on. Look at all the events and systems in Malaysia and you will find the stain of politics in all of them. Yes, politics is a virus which has latched itself into the very fabric of life in Malaysia and it is not doing us any good.

It can be said that politics is a bad taste in the mouth of Malaysians at a time when politicians are only seen as looking out for themselves. This is the stigma that would not disappear so soon. I believe only after this current crop of "career politicians" are gone would we truly see a Bangsa Malaysia rise. It would be the time when citizens are elected out of merit rather than by their political connections.

Until that time, it would be best that every mention of race or creed be kept to a minimum. National policies with racial undertones must slowly be dismantled so Malaysians can compete as Malaysians and not as members of a racial unit. Unity as Malaysians must be promoted while the beauty of diversity must be celebrated. This is the key to being unified under one flag, to know that we are all unique and different yet no-one is below the other. Everyone is equally a Malaysian living in Malaysia. Religion is personal and non intrusive. We respect our neighbor and love our differences and strive to see our nation become great.

Politics do not make Malaysia, instead it is the people who make Malaysia what she is. It is Malaysians who form the building blocks of Malaysia. We do not owe any political party any debts for the success of Malaysia but we do owe ordinary Malaysians a debt for being true to country and country men.

This is Bangsa Malaysia beyond politics.