Sabah and Sarawak have long been touted as examples of what Malaysian unity is supposed to look like. We are told that in these two states, people of various faiths and races live together effortlessly.
Apparently, everyone in East Malaysia celebrates each other’s festivals as a family. There are no reservations among those of different faiths or suspicions that one group is out to get another.
I am told that in Sabah and Sarawak, people of different races even sit at the same table in a coffeeshop.
This scenario harkens back to a time when Malay Muslims in the peninsula were not as conservative as they are nowadays — a time when they were more relaxed and would mix well with other Malaysians.
