Pakatan: Choice of DPM will be based on the constitution

Hadi, Anwar, Kit Siang

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders did not discuss the issue of who would be the Deputy Prime Minister if they won the next general election but they agreed that the decision would be based on the federal constitution - an outcome that will surely be cheered by the non-Malays in the country who have long aspired for political equality.

"The issue (of who will become the next DPM) was not discussed at the leadership council meeting, but we did decide that it will be based on the constitution," DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang told a press conference.

Kit Siang is the front-runner among the non-Malay Pakatan leaders believed to be capable of helming this post and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim himself has said there was no reason why Kit Siang or any other capable non-Malay could not assume such a post.

Limiting a man by the color of his skin

Nonetheless, such a 'liberal' view has been siezed on by the Umno-BN media and played up to arouse the maximum resentment from the Malay community, while casting doubt that such an aspiration could really become reality amongst the non-Malays.

Apart from PKR and DAP, the Islamic-based PAS has also been targeted with insinuations that if it allowed a non-Malay to become DPM, then it was selling out on Malay rights.

"There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet?" PAS president Hadi Awang, who was also present, told reporters. "The right choice will be made at the right time."

Among those who have tried to belittle Pakatan's vision of racial equality include MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong, who instead of supporting such a move has been trying his best to whittle down Kit Siang by implying the DAP leader was only having a pipe dream.

"It is sad that the MCA leaders’ grasp of the constitution and political principles are so shallow," Kit Siang had responded earlier.