Kingmaker controversy

(Sin Chew Daily) - Is he trying to unite Malay voters by hinting of a racial threat to arouse the awareness of crisis of the Malays, in other words, inciting racial sentiment?

Fomer Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad again played the same old tune. He said that Chinese voters might be the kingmakers in the next general election as Malay voters, the majority, have split into three groups supporting Umno, the PKR and PAS respectively, and become the minority.

At first, we thought that his grumbles were meant to remind the BN that Chinese votes are crucial and therefore, they have to fight for Chinese votes to ensure a victory in the next general election, and avoid a hung parliament.

However, when you were trying to think positive that Dr Mahathir was stressing that since Chinese votes are so important, they should then not neglect Chinese interests, he made a sharp turn and said that to please Chinese voters, the three Malay-based political parties Umno, the PKR and PAS have kept playing with racial issues to meet racial demands. He also made a bold assertion that racial issues would become the main theme in the next general election.

The colour and the taste of Dr Mahathir's remarks have changed and no matter from what perspective you view it, you will find that it is filled with racism.

You might like or hate Dr Mahathir personally. As a follower, you might think that he is a great politician; as his opponent, you might think that he is totally a strategist.

Strategists and politicians are resourceful and able to think deeply and plan carefully.

However, there are still differences between strategists and politicians.

Political strategists play all kinds of political ploys; while politicians are broad-minded and farsighted.

Politicians will not praise you as an angel before an election and call you a devil right after the election, but strategists will.

Politicians will not play with fire and stir racial sentiments to win, but strategists will.

Although strategists are astute and resourceful, they can never make a great achievement even if they are ambitious, as they lack a politician's mind.

Is Dr Mahathir a politician or a strategist? I believe that history will give him a fair appraisal. I am worried, however, as a politician in many people's mind, what impact would be brought to the Malaysian politics by his kingmakers remark? What is his purpose actually? Is he really trying to create inter-racial suspicion, mistrust and fear to save Umno and the BN's regime, as claimed by the opposition?

Is he trying to unite Malay voters by hinting of a racial threat to arouse the awareness of crisis of the Malays, in other words, inciting racial sentiment?

Regardless of how he defends, as a member of the younger generation and a citizen, please allow me to borrow his admonishment for his "rebellious" daughter: "Please be wavy of your words and deeds for the sake of the country's democracy and progress, and please be sensitive to avoid becoming a stumbling block to the unity of the people!"