Umno proves 1 Malaysia is political, says Lim

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

December 26, 2010

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang insists that 1 Malaysia is merely a political tool. - File picture

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — Despite the prime minister’s declaration that 1 Malaysia is not a political tool, Lim Kit Siang said today that political rhetoric from his own party has proven otherwise.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Umno president, said yesterday that 1 Malaysia was not a political tool but rather a tool to foster unity among the different communities for nation-building when responding to Selangor’s ban on the 1 Malaysia logo for business advertisements.

But the DAP leader pointed out that country has deteriorated since the introduction of the 1 Malaysia concept.

“Najib cannot deny that in the 20 months since the introduction of Najib’s ‘1 Malaysia, People First, Performance Now’ slogan, instead of giving Malaysians a new sense of being Malaysian, the reverse has taken place,” he said in a statement.

He said that Najib’s administration has failed to counter the brain drain problem while the country is being engulfed with racist and religious bigotry.

“As a result, the brain drain of talented Malaysians regardless of race has again returned to the fore, despite the proposed establishment of a Talent Corporation to attract the best brains in the world to Malaysia.

“In the past 20 months, despite Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept to create a Malaysia where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second, there had been an unprecedented rhetoric of irresponsible politicking, racist extremism and religious bigotry.

“The year could not have ended on a worse note for 1 Malaysia when even Malaysia’s religious pluralism came under attack as if it is something anti-national, un-Malaysian and a great liability when the country’s racial, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity are the nation’s greatest assets and keys as to whether Malaysia can achieve inclusive, sustainable high-income developed nation status,” he said.

Lim also questioned Najib’s sincerity for his inability to control his own party from resorting to racist and religious politicking.

“What is worse, those guilty of the worst rhetoric of irresponsible politicking, racist extremism and religious bigotry completely inimical to the concept of 1 Malaysia emanate from within Umno, in particular the Umno-owned mass media, Utusan Malaysia — raising serious questions about Najib’s sincerity and commitment to the 1 Malaysia concept and his political will to promote it,” he said.

Lim downplayed the survey by the Information Ministry that showed 84 per cent of Malaysians understands 1 Malaysia and asked if the Cabinet ministers themselves have a common understanding of the concept.

“In the first place, do all the Barisan Nasional Cabinet Ministers and leaders have a common understanding of the 1 Malaysia concept?

“But before this, the Cabinet Ministers must demonstrate that they fully accept Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept, with the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announcing his full fealty to the 1 Malaysia concept by declaring that he is Malaysian first, Malay second and not Malay first, Malaysian second as he had publicly vouched in response to my challenge in April,” he said.

Lim challenged the Cabinet members to prove that his allegations are wrong by acting to the “tests” that he posed in parliament.

“The three simple tests which I posed in Parliament in March this year for Barisan Nasional Cabinet Ministers to demonstrate that they have the 1 Malaysia DNA have yet to be fully taken up.

“The establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1 Malaysia; declaration that the basis of 1 Malaysia is ‘ketuanan rakyat Malaysia’ and not ‘ketuanan Melayu’; and declaration by all Ministers that they are Malaysian first and race, religion, geography and socio-economic grouping second,” he said.

Lim’s ally, PKR, had earlier linked 1 Malaysia to former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign, saying both shared the same public relations consultants, APCO Worldwide.

Najib had also denied that charge, saying it was his own idea.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was suspended for six months from Parliament last week for claiming the link which is politically sensitive as Malaysia does not have ties with Israel due to the Palestinian issue.

Anwar has now changed tack, saying his claims was not about One Israel but concerns over accountability and the contract with APCO, whom he claimed had worked with disreputable regimes across the world.