Will you continue race-based policies, activist asks BN, PH

Suaram advisor Kua Kia Soong takes both coalitions to task, says they are made up of race-based parties.

PETALING JAYA: A vocal critic of both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (HP) has challenged the coalitions to state if race-based preference and discrimination will continue to be a government policy if they win the next general election.

Former opposition MP and human rights activist Kua Kia Soong said the coalitions should also state a deadline in ending such a policy, describing it as the biggest impediment to national unity.

Kua said both BN and PH were made up of race-based political parties to gain votes and popularity.

He singled out PPBM, describing the Umno splinter party as a “race-pure” party competing to champion the Malays.

“Consequently, none of the political parties in either of the two coalitions have raised the question of when the racially discriminatory New Economic Policy, that was scheduled to end in 1990, will end,” said Kua, who is also advisor to rights group Suaram.

Kua said a majority of democratic countries no longer have race-based political parties “nor do they have racially discriminatory laws and policies.

He said there was now a need for a law against racial discrimination.

“An Equality Act will make racially discriminatory policies a thing of the past and equality will become an intrinsic part of the Human Rights Commission,” he added.

Kua also questioned if BN and PH would regulate financial transactions and put an end to tax evasion.

“In a real democracy, Malaysians would witness the top leaders of the two coalitions engage in a debate over such fiscal policies to showcase what benefits they can bring (to) the 99% of Malaysians before the elections, but this hardly ever happens in Malaysian general elections,” he said.

He said more revenue from oil and gas resources needed to be apportioned to the oil and gas-producing states, adding that national oil firm Petronas’ investment records should be made accountable to Parliament. -FMT