PM: Less racism at the top, but still runs deep at ground level

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the new government he leads comprise of leaders who were less blighted by racism.

However, at the ground level, Mahathir said racial sentiment continues to run deep despite the change in government.

"At the top level, there's less racism in this government.

"But at the ground level, the racial feeling is still very strong," he said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Mahathir, who once led Umno and BN for 22 years, came out of retirement in 2016 to lead Pakatan Harapan against his former party.

He led the coalition to end Umno and BN's 61 years in power. Malaysia had not seen a change in government since its independence.

Umno had for the longest time warned the electorate that the defeat of BN would lead to the rights of Malay Muslims to be undermined, a claim Harapan has long denied.

Mahathir, however, is himself leading a race-based party in the form of Bersatu, although it does accept non-Bumiputera members with limited rights.

He had argued the move to make Bersatu a bumiputera-based party was necessary to convince an electorate gripped by Umno's message, to switch sides.

The three other Pakatan Harapan partners - DAP, PKR and Amanah, are multi-racial parties.

Harapan and its ally Parti Warisan Sabah won 121 seats out of 222 seats in Parliament during May 9 general election.

The coalition now has 125 Parliament seats after three independents joined PKR while Upko, a former BN party, sided with Warisan. -Mkini