Stop the Racist Politics of Suspicion and Hate in the Country


by Koon Yew Yin

Even before the elections took place, various UMNO leaders led by Dr. Mahathir and Utusan Malaysia have led the onslaught against the Chinese in the country. Now the results are in, they are taking to a new level the politics of suspicion, hatred and revenge in the Malay masses for what they say as a betrayal by the Chinese voters.

There are several undeniable contrary facts to their thinking. Firstly, as others have pointed out, the so-called Chinese tsunami was actually a Malaysian tsunami which accounted for the largest ever proportion of total votes – in fact the majority – going to the opposition. Simple arithmetic explains why Chinese who comprise less than 30% of the total population can barely account for at most half the total votes cast against the BN even if all Chinese had voted against the BN.

Secondly, the Chinese rejection of BN is in fact a rejection of Chinese racial politics as espoused by MCA and its junior Chinese partners in BN. If the Chinese had wanted to engage in racial politics as usual surely they would have voted for the towkays and the cronies who have been the leading players in MCA politics during the past fifty years.

Thirdly, the Chinese cannot in any way be described as being anti-Malay. The majority of Chinese are anti-UMNO but this is quite different from being anti-Malay. This can be seen from the Chinese votes which went to Malay candidates from PAS and PKR. The trend of Chinese voting for Malays and other non-Chinese from the opposition even when there is a Chinese BN candidate is a clear signal that they want the changes and reforms proposed by the opposition.

Handouts dished out by BN to Chinese schools and Chinese temples or angpows paid out to Chinese voters may have worked in the past but no longer now. While many Malay voters will feel obligated to vote for BN after being provided with goodies, the Chinese will happily accept them but vote the other way. They see no moral issue at stake in doing so; and from the voting data that is available they are being joined in this rejection of election bribes by young Malays throughout the country.

What do Chinese Want

What are the specific changes that the Chinese want? In my social work I have found that the most important concern of the Chinese is fairness in the system – especially in education, business and the civil service.

Most Chinese are rational, adaptable and self-reliant which accounts for their ability to survive in even the most challenging of conditions. Even though they have been against the NEP, they have lived with its discriminatory implementation for the last 40 years in the belief that the system of preference for Malays in economy and education would come to an end once the Malay share of the economic and educational pie has reached a reasonable proportion.

Never mind that the NEP was supposed to end in 1990 as first promised by the BN. The Chinese were willing to live with its extension for another 10 years beyond 1990. Even after 2000, the Chinese were prepared to tolerate yet another 10 year extension of the NEP.

Today, 23 years after the NEP was to have ended, Chinese patience has run out and the sense of betrayal by the MCA and other Chinese parties has reached its peak. The Chinese young and middle aged constituencies have had enough of what they view as political eunuchs and opportunists leading the MCA and Gerakan. Moreover, they have no faith or trust in the country’s broken socio-economic system which is dominated by UMNO and which has not only divided Malaysians but also held back our economic advancement.

Fair and open competition with due regard given to need and merit irrespective of race so that their young children can have a real future to look forward to, good governance so that the economy can grow to reach the levels of South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore – this is what the Chinese want.

Can the Leopard Change Its Spots?

Until the BN changes direction on educational scholarships, civil service jobs and promotion, permits and licenses, GLC employment, and the other sectors of Malaysian life in which the NEP has penetrated; until reforms are introduced to fight corruption and ensure a higher standard of life than what is presently the case, I can confidently predict that the Chinese votes will not be returning to the BN.

Can the BN leopard change its spots? There is little evidence that this can or will happen. In fact, some of the newly appointed Ministers in Najib’s new cabinet are continuing to beat the drum on the politics of hatred and revenge. Newly-appointed Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has now said that Malaysians who are unhappy with the country’s political system should leave the country.

Zahid must be made to withdraw these irresponsible and provocative remarks which in the Malay papers and media will be seen as targeted mainly at the Chinese. Otherwise it will be clear that UMNO and BN have not learned anything at all from the elections – just the need to continue with or condone racist and hate politics.

  1. #1 by lauksnatlks on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 2:18 pm

    BN/UMNO keep harping on what the Chinese want but there has been more articles I care to read that explain again and again on this issue. Has anyone of these Umnoputras read any of these articles, I am wondering. How can we transmit this simple message to these guys.

  2. #2 by jimmyleongwk on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 2:21 pm

    Uncle LKS, I suggest that from now you record all these racist remarks and in the next GE14 replay them over and over again. It would be very effective for the public to recall and judge for themselves what these people are doing and saying. It will make the public known that we are not making up stories but hear it from them. The young generation will be convinced. God bless you Uncle Lim. Regards.

  3. #3 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 2:39 pm

    Notice, notice, notice.

    YAB Najib Kor has been really, really silent about recent rantings on racism.

    He has not reined any one in and scolded any one for their inflammatory speeches. Notice?

    Ha, UMNO AGM coming-lah. Head of Ku klux may yet get to be UMNO President-man.

  4. #4 by Loh on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 2:42 pm

    ///Zahid’s get out call personal opinion, says Khairy
    Abdul Rahim Sabri | 1:06PM May 17, 2013 | 101
    The newly minted sports minister says Zahid’s statement telling critics to migrate does not reflect that of the government.///–malaysiakini

    We know that. We also know that it is in his personal capacity that he has been appointed Minister of Home Affairs. It just shows that Najib has appointed half-past-six minister.

  5. #5 by Loh on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 4:37 pm

    Najib was correct to say that there was Chinese tsunami against UMNO. In fact Najib did not say that it was Malaysian tsunami because he accepted that Malays too were leaving UMNO for the same reasons Chinese would also vote against UMNO.

    There were questions as to what Chinese wanted. The Suqiu group gave a complete list to Mamakthir just before the 1999 election of what Chinese hoped the government would do, and Mamakthir had agreed to the request, and Chinese voted for him to power. Mamakthir negated on his promise. Chinese want the same thing but would not think that Najib would carry out what Mamakthir promised, and did not bother to mention it again. Chinese have given up on BN government and hope that they can vote for UBAH. UMNO can think what it likes. UMNO can also get UMNO Malays to hate Chinese, since the UMNO-type Malays are declining in number. Chinese public do not think that a few minister of Chinese decent in the Cabinet would make them proud. In other words Chinese are not racist to insist that there are Chinese in the Cabinet. As citizens Chinese would just vote whom they support and hopefully the racists would not last long in government.

  6. #6 by sotong on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 4:38 pm

    Without politics of suspicion and hate, many politicians would lose the meaning of their ‘jobs’ and to create wealth from their positions, as these shit stirrers are very good at playing with the people’s emotions, feelings and lives……..and enjoyed it!

  7. #7 by Winston on Friday, 17 May 2013 - 10:01 pm

    No, they are not likely to stop their attacks on the opposition.
    Rather, they are going all out to make things bad for them.
    So, Malaysians must not hold their breath and wait for such miracles to happen.
    They won’t!!!

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