“The increased political temperature centred around racial talk is similar to the atmosphere during 1987's Operasi Lalang.”
![Mahathir UMNO](http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Mahathir-UMNO-300x202.jpg)
In a press statement referring to the recent crackdown on opposition figures and to Monday’s controversial speech by Home Minister Zahid Hamidi, DAP’s Political Education Director Liew Chin Tong said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Zahid were “dancing to the tune” of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and “the hawks” within Umno.
He drew a parallel between Mahathir’s recent withdrawal of support for Najib and Umno’s “most divisive party election” in April 1987, pointing out that the infamous Operasi Lalang was launched about six months later.
He noted that Mahathir’s widely reported criticism of Najib came “on the eve of the season of Umno divisional general meetings, which will be followed by the National Annual General Assembly.”
He claimed that Mahathir’s attack had inflicted “huge damage on Najib in the eyes of the Umno faithful”.
“The increased political temperature centred around racial talk and the recent persecution spree of opposition leaders, civil society leaders and academics, and even the Volunteer Patrol Unit in Penang is similar to the atmosphere during Operasi Lalang in 1987,” he said.
Liew’s statement appeared to be a caution to Malaysians against being taken in by Umno’s alleged agenda to divide and rule.
He said: “We must be clear:
“First, the fault line in Malaysian politics is not between the Malays and the non-Malays, but between the old politics of fear, greed and corruption and the new politics of reforms. There are non-Malays who are corrupt and there are many Malays who are supportive of new politics.
“Second, Umno fears democracy and freedom of speech. Democracy and freedom of speech are threatening autocrats but not the pride and dignity of any ethnic group.
“Third, DAP is a party for all and not representative of non-Malays. DAP represents all Malaysians and if more and more Malays and Bumiputera become part of DAP, Umno will not have its whipping boys anymore. If Umno is not able to paint DAP as a non-Malay champion, Umno would have no more reason to exist as its sole legitimacy now lies in its claim to ‘defend’ the Malays against the threat of the DAP.
“Fourth, the future of Malaysia will be determined by whether most Malaysians can see beyond ethnic boundaries to see a shared destiny for all Malaysians, especially in terms of a prosperous economy for all and not just Umno cronies.”
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