How to deal with racial politicking

There is no credible national effort to destroy the racist mentality.

COMMENT

By R Kengadharan

The fundamental problem in Malaysia today is racism, and each day it escalates to a more dangerous level.

We cannot ignore the ugly truth that racism is the consequence of privilege, institutionalised discrimination and the claim of supremacy by one group.

The sad thing is that there is no national effort on a credible scale to destroy the racist mentality.

We must destroy racism by openly condemning it and rejecting it in whatever form it takes, including the form of a race-based political party.

The result of the 2008 general election did provide a ray of hope for a political system dominated by two multiracial parties, but the euphoria was short-lived.

No true political observer can be oblivious of the fact that racial politicking is making a comeback and threatening to push the nation ever backward.

While the vast majority of Malaysians see nothing but ugliness in racial politics, there are still many politicians who believe they cannot survive unless they continue to advocate race politic – and to hell with the consequences on the nation’s future.

Why, for instance, do we need to be constantly reminded about the dark days of the 1969 riots?

It ought to be the duty of political parties to take stern action against their members who arouse racial sentiments.

The government, especially, must act swiftly against them. Meanwhile, responsible citizens must never succumb to these racist instigations.

However, the best means of defeating racism is to educate the public on our cultural diversity and to take pride in it.

Racism is a menace and we must cripple it by restructuring our mindsets through discourse and activities that foster solidarity.

But, meanwhile, we can deal with racist politicians by:

• rejecting all race-based policies and agendas;
• rejecting any political party that represents only one race;
• rejecting any attempt to indoctrinate the ideology of a supreme race;
• boycotting every activity that encourages racism; and
• challenging the constitutionality of any law with an embedded racist agenda.

R Kengadharan is a lawyer and a former ISA detainee.