Something flashed through my mind this morning. I asked, how could our country, Malaysia, come into this state of confusion? And how could Malaysia, the country, continue to progress when the majority of my countrymen are not patriotic? Why is the majority refusing to be Malaysians?

Aren't all citizens of Malaysia Malaysians first? After all, are we not a sovereign nation and our individual national identity described as Malaysian? And I asked again, but what actually has made the majority unpatriotic, hesitating or refusing to behave as Malaysians? Then I answered myself, no, the majority are not unpatriotic people by nature. They are good people.

The main reason for these good people holding back and resisting to be Malaysians is that they have always been influenced and brainwashed by Umno politicians into behaving that way for too long, for many decades. And the mother of all culprits is none other than the former closet- racist PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad who ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years.

So, the result is that only the minority in the country are now crying out loud wanting to be Malaysians in Malaysia whereas the majority prefers to be silent. It's a strange phenomenon for any country and it's certainly a lousy recipe for unity and nation-building.

But Umno politicians do not care. They think it is their party's birth right to continue to rule and control the country by whatever means, including fragmenting the people and country.

Up till this day, Umno politicians are still unashamedly imparting and screaming racialist policies, and in the process, further expanding on the already lame and parochial behaviour of the majority whom they have successfully groomed over time. Umno politicians have always been in a state of denial about their wrong approach in placing race above the nation's interest.

Undoubtedly, this continuing denial and practice has now become a national weakness and a national handicap for all. The nation and her people are now all contained within a subsidy mentality. The majority can hardly stand on their own feet anymore without continuously demanding for help or subsidy. Their attitude and mentality have become handicapped and they are incapable of good competition on most fronts.

And Umno politicians are still playing innocent, still appearing to be proud of their actions and are actually claiming full credit for helping the majority become weak and dependent on them. For the nation, it's a real sham. I am positive that no one with any good conscience left, including the majority, is proud of what has happened and is still happening to this Umno-led country.

What is actually worse, I further perceive, is that the past and present Umno politicians are not actually visionary or brave people at all. They were and still are afraid of their own shadows and suffer a great deal from inferiority complex. They have always viewed every proposal by the minority with suspect and disdain.

At whatever cost, and for their own political survival, they have, in recent years, even been resorting to dangerous religious leanings to further manipulate and control the thinking of the majority and encroached into whatever little rights left of the minority.

In fact, the Umno politicians are still constantly poisoning the minds and testing the strength and resilience of all Malaysians every other day with their blatant racialist and religious overtones. It is going to be a sad story for the future of the country. This is a real Malaysian dilemma, and it is our Dilemma, caused by very short-sighted and selfish politicians.

Hence, it is my fervent hope that someone or any group with the right political skills, courage, conviction and vision quickly come forward to lead and reverse this sad and confused Malaysian political trend. Otherwise, I can foresee Malaysia's future going down into the pits in the not too distant future.

Malaysia can never be a great country if the government-of-the-day and all her citizens cannot think, work and march forward with easiness, with one heart and mind, and with a single purpose of direction. Other developing nations of the world will not wait and will simply move ahead of us if we continue to lag behind with our poor and inconsistent policies and approach.

Umno politicians have indeed shown that they are incapable of delivering the long-term desired results for the country. The already have 50 years behind them. The country has never been so divided as it is now. Umno has taken too long to cement the nation's diversity. Umno has failed the country miserably with it's divide-and-rule policy.

As a citizen who is concerned for the future generations of Malaysians, I appeal to the government-of-the-day to immediately cease all racist exhortations and actions in governing the nation. I am sure they would know how to if they are determined to.

Our country must ‘Go Malaysian’ all the way and don't look back. If every citizen, regardless of race or religion, including politicians, is determined to be Malaysian first in securing prosperity for our nation, I am certain that positive results will be equitably achieved for all in 20 or 30 years' time.

The peoples' spirit and determination as Malaysians can only bring progress and benefit for our beloved country in the long run. Otherwise, our country is like a body without a soul and the future of our nation will continue to degenerate. Indeed, a national tragedy could be waiting for us around the corner.

Be a Malaysian and truly practice as one in Malaysia. Let us give Malaysia back its soul.