Will the Chinese 'sapu' everything? Umno's reputation for racism spreads far & wide

Malaysian Opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim, back from a trip to Jakarta, told a rally on Sunday night that Indonesians had asked him if it was true what Umno has been saying that if his Pakatan Rakyat coalition came to power, the Chinese would take over Malaysia.

"Indonesians asked me is it true if you and Pakatan Rakyat win the general election, 'habis lah Malaysia' (or Malaysia is finished), the Chinese would swipe everything," Anwar said during a Black 505 rally in Batu Pahat on Sunday night.

"My answer was that it is true our Chinese leaders are now smarter, brave and better qualified. So what we must do is to pick Malays leaders who are smarter and better quaified . If we have smart Chinese leaders but despotic  and corrupt Malays leaders, we are destroyed. And if we select corrupt Malay leaders, once they win, prices will rise, (tycoon) Syed Mokhtar will get half a billion and (tycoon) Ananda millions."

Umno gains notoriety

The information let slip by the 64-year-old Anwar is indeed a sharp reflection on Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno party and how far and wide its notoriety for racism had become.

In the run up to the May 5 general election, Umno leaders including Najib had consistently used the 'race' card to rally support from the predominant Malay electorate. Their divide-and-rule tactics continued after the election, with Najib himself blaming a 'Chinese tsunami' for the BN's weak performance.

Najib's comment spurred an article 'Apa lagi Cina mau' or 'what more do the Chinese want' from Umno-controlled newspaper Utusan - suggesting that the Chinese were ungrateful and disloyal despite being given opportunities to prosper. Not surprisingly, the comments were condemned by the community, who were angered by the stereotyping.

Interracial relations in Indonesia too have been shrouded in controversy, and at the height of Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, hardliners in the country had gone on rampage against the tiny Chinese community there, prompting a flight of capital to neighboring Singapore.

Anwar had flown to the Indonesian capital at the invitation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who had wanted to know about the alleged vote-rigging and fraud in Malaysia's 5th general election.

"President SBY wanted to know what was happening in Malaysia and issued the invitation due to the increased coverage by the Indonesian media, which has been covering the Malaysian situation extensively. The feeling there is that the electoral fraud committed was excessive and if it had happened in Indonesia, there would have been a revolt," Anwar told the 10,000-odd crowd who attended the rally at Parit Raja, Batu Pahat.

Malaysia Chronicle