“1:40 Malay Non-Malay ratio of newly registered voters” is the latest example of a recrudescence of the most baseless, irresponsible, vicious and racist-charged allegations to provoke racial fear and confrontation which is completely inimical to the 1Malaysia policy proclaimed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak since assuming the highest office in the land in April last year.
This allegation by the UMNO Youth Voter Registration Bureau was made the front-page screaming headline by Berita Harian on Monday (28th June 2010). It is a downright lie.
What is most shocking and irresponsible is that this lie was given endorsement by the Election Commission Deputy Chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar who was quoted by Berita Harian the next day (Tuesday 29th June 2010) as saying:
“Maka, apabila ketiga-tiga parti pembangkang itu agresif menarik pengundi baru mendaftar, memang betul kajian Umno yang nisbah pengundi baru Melayu yang mendaftar lebih kecil berbanding bukan Melayu kerana memang itu trendnya,” katanya kepada Berita Harian semalam.
Wan Ahmad had done a grave disservice to the good name and integrity of the public service when he stooped so low as to play to the tune of Umno Youth Voters Registration Bureau to provoke racial fear and confrontation on something which is completely baseless.
The facts are completely different.
There is not only no 40:1 ratio between Malays and non-Malays among the newly-registered voters after the March 2008 general elections, the ratio is not even 30:1, 20:1, 10:1 or even 1:1. In actual fact, it is a ratio of 2:1 for Malays and non-Malays!
Between the March 2008 general elections to the first quarter of this year, a total of 569,137 new voters had been registered, out of which 355,805 (62.52%) are Malay, 131,047 (23.03%) are Chinese, 27,823 (4.89%) Indians, 20,871 (3.6%) Sabah bumiputera, 27,104 (4.7%) Sarawak bumiputeras, 2,378 Orang Asli and 4,109 Others.
The latest statistics on the newly-registered voters since March 2008 general election was given by the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf four days after the baseless and irresponsible “40:1 ratio” headline, but was published by Berita Harian in so inconspicuous a manner that it would be overlooked and have no effect whatsoever to wipe out the hysterical impact of its screaming front-page Monday headline of a “40:1” ratio between Malays and non-Malays among the newly-registered voters.
Wan Ahmad should know that UMNO Youth Voters Registration Bureau claim was grossly and irresponsibly wrong – but why did he give it his blessing in Berita Harian the next day?
Berita Harian is guilty of most irresponsible journalism which undermines the very basis of Najib’s 1Malaysia nation-building policy.
All Malaysians must be concerned because this is not an isolated case. In fact, there had been a recrudescence of baseless, irresponsible, vicious and racist-charged allegations made to provoke racial scare, fear and confrontation – like the scaremongering that the Chinese will take over the country in the next general election and that the Malays could become a minority in the country.
Malaysians are entitled to know from Najib what is this 1Malaysia that he is advocating when under his premiership, there is a recrudescence of the most baseless, irresponsible, vicious and racist-charged allegations given widest coverage which are clearly designed to provoke fear and confrontation and what he proposes to do to counter such divisive and destructive forces.
#1 by dawsheng on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 5:02 pm
Simple lah! Make voting compulsory for Malaysians with age 21 and above lor! Isn’t that what UMNO wanted, or UMNOputras prefer 18 years old instead? Lagi best isn’t it?
#2 by mauriyaII on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 6:11 pm
Just throw the statastics churned out by the MSM and the government into the garbage bin where it belongs. Scaremongering and playing the race and religious cards seem to be the order of the day. 1Malaysia is nothing but a syiok sendiri thing where Najib is concerned. It rings hollow and is nothing but crude sloganeering.
#3 by yhsiew on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 6:25 pm
What is most shocking and irresponsible is that this lie was given endorsement by the Election Commission Deputy Chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar…….
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All the while there is a suspicion among non-BN voters that the EC is pro-BN and biased towards BN. Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar’s endorsement of the 1:40 Malay non-Malay ratio has not only confirmed non-BN voters’ worst fear but has also destroyed the integrity and credibility of the EC.
I believe Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar has the right ratio of newly registered voters at his finger tips as Deputy Chairman of the EC. His endorsement of the 1:40 ratio was to please his political Master.
#4 by bennylohstocks on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 8:28 pm
WORKING OVERTIME
#5 by DAP man on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 8:42 pm
Every single institution – From the Judiciary, MACC, PDRM, EC, Malay new media editors are RACIST.
With low IQ how else can they engage the non-Malays in intellectual argument except to indulge in gutter racism.
What else can we expect from a racist government.
And we have Chinese and Indian eunuchs in the MCA and MIC who support them by selling their communities.
#6 by DAP man on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 8:58 pm
1Malaysia simply means the Malays can insult non-Malays, call them prostitutes, beggars, pendatangs and tell us to balik China, India. They can demand our citizenship be withdrawn.
They can insults non-Muslim religions in their Friday sermons.
And they enjoy immunity. They have become a law unto themselves.
But they need our taxes to pay their salaries.
This is 1 Malaysia.
#7 by Winston on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 10:00 pm
Uncle Lim, after everything is said and done, the PR, especially the DAP, must go all out to galvanise all Malaysians who care about the country, to dump such people and prevent them from ever taking over the reigns of power anymore!!
#8 by yhsiew on Saturday, 3 July 2010 - 11:50 pm
It is unbecoming of UMNO Youth Voter Registration Bureau and Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar to make and endorse such racist comment on newly registered voters. As these people cannot tolerate the peaceful co-existence of the various races in Malaysia, it will be difficult for the non-Malays to live harmoniously side by side with them if they ever come to power.
#9 by House Victim on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 1:22 am
Is it something that the Penal Code could apply?
===========
Cheating
415. Whoever by deceiving any person, whether or not such
deception was the sole or main inducement,—
(b) intentionally induces the person so deceived to do or
omit to do anything which he would not do or omit to
do if he were not so deceived and which act or omission
causes or is likely to cause damage or harm to any person
in body, mind, reputation, or property, is said to “cheat”.
Explanation 1—A dishonest concealment of facts is a deception within the meaning of this section.
Explanation 2—Mere breach of contract is not of itself proof of an original fraudulent intent.
Explanation 3—Whoever makes any representation through any person acting as an agent, or otherwise, for him, shall be deemed to have made the representation himself.
Punishment for cheating
417. Whoever cheats shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine or with both.
===============
If Laws really work and enforced, I believe many many BN nonsense outcrying will not be so wild!!
#10 by dcasey on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 1:40 am
Today’s football match between Argentina vs Germany started off with the players holding a large banner that says “SAY NO TO RACISM”. In Malaysia we have the ruling majority exhibiting unreservedly as RACIST to the whole wide world. Shame on UMNO, shame on Perkosa and most of all shame on Najib.
#11 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 9:19 am
If you ask me, Najib is losing control and is on his way out. What you see is all about the elements that are moving in place to ease him out of power. There should be a lot of sparks flying in the next few months as this complicated dance of ending his administration is being moved about. You are already hearing the virtriol to win support of the right wing of the party. Its a race Najib cannot win and hold up for long because of his history and background.
Expect GE in a very very short time. The longer he postphone it the worst his exit from power will be. He would be an entitled idiot to drag it out which would be a fitting finish but nevertheless, i am a sceptic that UMNO greed is that forgiving.
#12 by PoliticoKat on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 11:54 am
Hmm shouldn’t there be laws for making up fake news in the paper? I am sure there are laws against making up news to sell papers.
PS: Berita Harian should have said
1: 1,000,000,000
The non-malays voters out number us by a billion to one! How will we survive!
#13 by habis on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 6:40 pm
Just throw all the statistic figures into the garbage bins for they are all manipulated figures out to creat fears full of racial insinuation and not surprisingly our Election Commision chairman endorsement of this piece of garbage news befits the person whose post is at the privy of the PM.Can we ever hope for this Commision to be a fair body acting without fear or favour? Your guess is as good as mine. Here we have a racist govt supported by our eunuch leaders in MCA,MIC and all component parties leaders and betraying the trusts of their respective communities preaching 1 Malaysia to mislead Malaysians.The mission ahead to get our East Malaysian comrades to register as voters and unite to kick out all these corrupt leaders before they destroy our beloved country and land us into the Third World status.
#14 by good coolie on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 7:45 pm
“One Malaysia” is just an empty slogan. Nobody knows what it means. Everybody hopes it means well, this rabbit out of a magician’s hat.
#15 by lee wee tak_ on Sunday, 4 July 2010 - 8:04 pm
see what happens when BN run the education system? civil servants can’t count
given the population of Malaysia and Malay voters outnumber the non-malays, it is very impossible to have a ratio like 1 to 40
one has to assess the motive behind SPR who is suppose to be neutral….which they are not
#16 by undertaker888 on Monday, 5 July 2010 - 1:02 am
what the buffoon actually want to say is 40 illegal aliens with mykad to 1 Malaysian in Sabah. Ya, all endorsed by mamaktahi during his tenure. In the peninsular, it is 40 mamak thieves to 1 Ali. So mamak is right. The malays have become a minority.
#17 by perplexed on Monday, 5 July 2010 - 4:34 pm
Dear Mr Lim Kit Siang,
I’m an 57 old man and I do not understand the meaning of Malay, Chinese, Indian or Bumiputra person. However, somewhere in the Laws of Malaysia, it does explain the meaning of Malaysian citizenship. Can someone therefore pass into law the meaning of Malay, Chinese, Indian or Bumiputra so that it could be debated in the Parliment?
Why? Because I do not understand why some people can call themselves Malay, Chinese, Indians or Bumiputra when it was not defined in any of the laws of Malaysia. Right now, even a Mamak can call himselve a Malay. If that is the way, then practically anyone can call himself a Malay! Maybe I’m a bit stupid!
Can such request be tabled in Parliment?
I’m smiling!
#18 by Loh on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 - 1:26 am
Based on the definition accepted by Malaysian constitution where Malay is one who practices Malay custom, and two other criterion, Chinese can be said to be person who takes Chinese food, and Indians Indian food. Malaysians would be those who take Malaysian food.
It would easy and clear cut to state that Malaysians are the citizens of Malaysia. There will be no need to classify Malays or other races if there was no need to continue distinguishing between the different races. That was the reason why ‘Malay’ was not defined scientifically as the framers of Malaysian constitution considered that the separation of the races would no longer be required after 15 years in 1972 when article 153 ceased to be operational.
NEP made the classification of different races necessary but the powers-that-be chose to let the definition remain vague, to create vote banks. That confusion benefited UMNO in retaining political power since 1970s. But the vague definition rendered poor Malays victims of NEWMalays who hijacked NEP to keep them poor while making not-so-Malay Malays billionaires. These relatively poorer Malays, in the so-called rural areas, remain so because Mamakthir considered that he must create very rich Malays so that Malays could not be said to be poor, to prevent May 13. It would appear that the poor Malays are required to be poor to stop May 13 though their status as poor Malays was also the reason why NEP should continue. So poor Malays are duty bound to continue to be poor so that wealthy Malays can continue to gain more wealth through NEP.
Mamakthir said that Malays would be a minority in the country, in future. In fact Malays, the true Malays not the mamak type have already become a minority among the ‘Malays’ partly out of project M where Muslims from the Philippines, Pakistan and elsewhere are now calling themselves Malays and Sabahans.
The 1960 census of population undertaken in Sabah shows that there were 6,000 Malays out of 400,000 population. The population in Sabah is now 3,000,000. Clearly the true Malays in Sabah are now a minor minority. NEWSabahan Malays are free to come over to the Peninsular and together with Indonesians such as the dentist ex-MB and mamak-Malays, the true Malays are clearly a minority. They would remain poor because the rich and more powerful NEWMalays control government policies and businesses said to be given to Malays, under NEP.
Poor Malays would be better off if the government is compassionate to look after the poor of all races, rather than to make Malays rich, based on Mamakthir’s interpretation, and Perkasa’s demand.