Time to move away from race-based politics

 

“In the clashes between ignorance and intelligence, ignorance is generally the aggressor.”

- A quote by Paul Harris

A media statement made by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad - “Nothing to fear being governed by Malay parties” - on March 26 attracted my attention.

It saddened me that after more than 65 years of our independence, Mahathir (above) continues to place a wedge between the British and Malay administrations. 

The second flaw is that he wishes to continue with his divisive and racially-based politics, through his party, Pejuang. 

To think that only one race can provide a balanced leadership when the country is multi-racial is truly superficial, too. 

Mahathir had the opportunity to command and govern the country for over two decades. 

Commanded he did, with much aggression, a fully controlled media and he had no regard for dissent, where many of his good deputies, like Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Anwar Ibrahim, fell on the wayside for having different opinions and perspectives from his. 

Must be by pure coincidence that all these good leaders happened to be Malays, but did Mahathir give them any chance?

So, who are the Malay leaders he has set his vision on, this time around? 

Mahathir may be truly altruistic in his thinking for the Malays as his new party's main base. Is that partly because he knows that not many non-Malays trust and will support him anymore? 

Dr Mahathir Mohamad campaigning for his party, Pejuang

Surely, he must have realised also, by now, that even the Malays have abandoned him and his party in droves. The sad truth is that they went back to Umno/BN.

As much as I disagreed with his racist strategy, I feel sorry for him, too. 

After all those years as PM and experience in politics, it shows how much Mahathir has failed in his reading of the Malay lower income group, which unfortunately still forms the bulk of the B40 today.

So, the obvious question to ask our ex-PM is this: Why, despite your long years as PM, with all the government resources, financial and all, at your disposal, you still failed to uplift the living standards of your Malay target groups?

Is that because your target group kept shifting as you went along, and all the wealth were siphoned away by your political leaders and warlords that you have incidentally created in the process of governing?

Or was it due to the patronage system that you have allowed to grow unimpeded, so much so that today’s economic pie, a large chunk of it, is controlled by so few?  

Today, contrary to your statement, most Malays are no longer living in rural areas and secluded agricultural environments.

No thanks to you for abandoning the important agro-based sector, with which the Malays were known to be associated with, in those years.

Modern Malays 

The Malays took up the challenge on Mahathir’s industrial policy that failed to materialise fully. They, unfortunately, trusted the policy and migrated to urban areas. 

Now they found themselves caught in many poor urban enclaves of our metropolitan sprawl, which they had no hands in drafting and planning in the first place. 

Their dwelling units are mostly in a sorry state, and they must endure the high cost of living with no quality of life for their families and children. 

If this new party truly cares, it may like to ask: what do they do for recreation? Education has been very poor, social issues are aplenty and drug abuse is rampant.

The majority of them are still toiling for a pittance in the Malay proverb of Kais pagi, makan pagi..., in a country whose wealth and projects are now controlled by corrupt Malay elites that the systems have indirectly created and are politically responsible for.

The lower-income Malays (B40 group), as well as the middle 40 percent (M40), are clueless and leaderless. They have suffered a great deal for being hoodwinked by politicians under the guise of Malay based parties, Malay leadership and the Malay agenda. That narrative never materialised.

I won't mention the dubious caption for “race, religion and nation”. It sounds ubiquitous but so false.

What Malay agenda is this new party bringing this time? Given the scenario and its setting have changed, what new approach can the party bring to the table for these modern urban Malays?

Through politics, this group has also been stripped of their arts, culture and original traditions. Did Umno care then?

Apart from other racist and divisive policies like NEP, which I don't think many other Malaysians would give in this time around, what else could this party offer? 

We all know that it is not about race but leadership, which the country is lacking. So does this party.

It’s not about race anymore…

Mahathir has now demonstrated the fact that during his political sunset, he has never truly understood or reconnected with these groups of Malays. 

It’s not about race anymore, or between ruling class Malays and the non-Malays as migrants. 

It’s not about Malay leaders allowing others to do business. It’s not about Malays versus British administrators. Nobody knows or remembers that anymore, now. His narrative on this one is rather outdated. 

It’s about our urban living environment that is taxing, congested and high living cost. It’s about the lack of job opportunities and how to pay for the living expenses. All these cuts across all Malaysians, not just Malays, though they may suffer more, especially those with no skills.

Today’s Malaysia is about our plural society, the need to be secular, united and moving forward as Malaysians. It’s all about assisting the B40 in urban areas, it’s that simple. No complications and not complex at all.

It goes to show how disconnected Mahathir is with the progressive, multi-racial and young Malaysians of today.

Not many people get a second bite at the cherry. But Mahathir, despite all his shortcomings, did it in May 2018. 

It lasted only for 22 months, as he finally succumbed to political ruthlessness and outmanoeuvred at his own gameplan, by his own people whom he trusted - the infamous Sheraton rats.

Any leader worth his salt today would have learned from that strange episode. As some politicians have said, Malay unity is a myth. 

Malaysia must go for reforms, must dismantle race-based parties before it is too late. - Mkini

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ROSLI KHAN is a practising transport and logistics professional, academician, consultant and company director with over 30 years of experience.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.