Perikatan Nasional (PN) leader Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said it is difficult for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take action over a DAP politician’s remarks about racism in the civil service.
Radzi said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy may escape unscathed as DAP has the largest number of seats in the coalition government.
“Anwar’s existence as prime minister is courtesy of DAP. Therefore, to remain as prime minister, the relationship with DAP as well as (DAP’s) aspirations must take priority.
“Try to imagine if things that affect other races are touched by PN leaders, surely hordes of Pakatan Harapan-BN coalition leaders will accuse PN of being racist.
“But when the ‘big brother DAP’ says something that is clearly racial, there is no one saying this big brother is racist.
“I just wanted to say, we can read the ‘grand design’ of the Harapan government, of which DAP is a part,” Radzi said.
His statement comes in the wake of Ramasamy’s remarks urging Anwar to reform the civil service, alleging it is dominated by Malays due to policies implemented the first time Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.
Ramasamy said the argument for Malay dominance in the public service to balance the economic dominance of the Chinese should no longer apply.
He also claimed there was covert racial discrimination related to the promotions of non-Malays.
After facing criticism, the DAP leader later defended his post as a personal view which did not represent his party’s position.
He said he made such a proposal to bring meaningful change to government practices.
Anwar also previously said Ramasamy’s comments did not represent DAP.
‘Extreme racism’
Radzi, who is the Putrajaya MP, accused Ramasamy of insulting the civil service and Malays.
He described Ramasamy’s statement as representing DAP which is “very allergic to anything dominated by the Malays.”
“When DAP takes control of the government, of course, the effort to break this dominance becomes their primary focus.
“This kind of racism or extreme racism can destroy the future of this beloved country if it is not curbed.
“Even though DAP tries to show they supposedly have Malaysian spirit and respect a multiracial society, their racist attitude is still showing clearly,” Radzi said on Facebook today.
‘Not Harapan’s vision’
Meanwhile, Bukit Bendera PKR chief Jason Ong Khan Lee said Harapan’s agenda has never included plans to alter the current racial composition of the civil service.
In a statement today, the Kebun Bunga state assemblyperson said it is not surprising nor contentious that the civil service consists of about 90 percent bumiputera Malays as they are the majority in this country.
“Anwar is right to remind us that Malay domination in the civil service is not an issue. He rightly emphasised that Ramasamy’s views on this issue were his personal views and not representative of DAP or the government.
“Harapan’s top priority has always been the interest and well-being of all Malaysians, regardless of race,” Ong said.
He added that the federal administration’s focus should be to tackle more pressing issues such as the rising cost of living and unemployment.
“We believe Ramasamy is aware of the difficulties faced by the entire nation, especially those endeavouring to make ends meet.
“For this reason, his comment about Malay dominance in the civil service makes it counterintuitive to the vision of Harapan,” he said.
Ong added that it is time for Harapan to collectively reflect on its approach to bringing Malaysians of all races and backgrounds closer together. - Mkini
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