From Heart to Mouth
The remarks were most probably unscripted. Perhaps, they slipped off the mouth as the speaker got heated in his historical ruminations about the landing of the Chinese and Indians on Malaysian soil. Perhaps he forgot the multi-racial crowd listening keenly to his words.
Then the words slipped off his mouth: "Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese, especially the women, came to sell their bodies." All fired up now, he continued his rants with threats to revoke the citizenship of Malaysians who had raised demands against certain government education policies.
The crowd was stunned, especially when the occasion was the "Rapat 1Malaysia" seminar in line with the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia pet initiative aimed at forging unity and heralding progress to the country.
An even bigger irony was that the speaker was Datuk Nasir Safar, the PM's special aide. Immediately after his remarks blazed on Internet portals, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement distancing itself from his remarks, and yet apologising for Nasir, saying he "never intended to make any derogatory remarks."
Nasir also denied making the remarks. In a telephone interview with The Malaysian Insider the same day, he said, "I did not say the word 'pendatang' (immigrant). I only said the country has been successful as the Chinese and the Indians from those days until today have been coming here to work" and added that he did not threaten anyone. the article
Those who attended the seminar begged to differ. So, was Datuk Nasir aware of what he was saying? Did he suffer a lapse of temporary amnesia?
Only God knows but what was obvious was that he spoke off the cuff, which meant that the words must have spilled out from within him.
This reminds us of a verse in the Bible - "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." These words recorded in Matt. 12:34 were Jesus' sharp observation of the link between the human heart and the mouth. For the things in our heart will find their way out of our mouths.
That's why the Bible says that we are to guard our heart above all else "for it is the wellspring of life" and to "put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips." Prov 4:23-24
What's in our heart? Do we secretly harbour a 'Nasir' within? Or is it a storehouse of compassion and love for the people around us, especially for those unlike us that are of a different race and faith?
If we desire to reach out to our surrounding world and make a lasting impact for Christ, our hearts must first be wellsprings that bring life. If our nation-building efforts are to be impactful, our hearts must be clear of prejudice and bias.
As FGA KL Elder Khoo Kay Hup shared with inter-cessors at the recent NECF Thanksgiving Tea, "In the midst of turmoil and all the negativity that we see, we need to have the right spirit when we intercede for the lost. We could become self-righteous and even call down God's wrath on situations where we find injustice, but the heart of an intercessor must first be filled with God's love."
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Ps 139:23-24 |
