'Non-Malay PM': Kit Siang agrees with Dr M, terms it rare occasion

 

After a long spell, Lim Kit Siang finds himself agreeing with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad again, which the former described as a “rare occasion”.

This is after Mahathir shared his thoughts on the debate surrounding Malaysia having a non-Malay prime minister, saying unless the Malays accept it, things would remain status quo.

Lim, who is being investigated by the police for raising this scenario, reiterated that he does not expect a Chinese Malaysian or Indian Malaysian to become prime minister for the next 100 years.

“But would it take 100 years before a Dayak or Kadazan, to become the prime minister of Malaysia?” the DAP veteran asked.

Mahathir had said that while the Federal Constitution does not refer to race or religion about who can become the prime minister, racial dynamics would dictate that the position be helmed by a person from the majority race.

“In Singapore, the prime minister has always been from the majority Chinese race since independence. Penang has never had a non-Chinese chief minister.

“Given the racial balance is in favour of the non-Malays, still when Umno had the largest number of seats under BN, it gave way to Gerakan.

“And so by the same token, even if Malays are divided politically, they still make up the majority race. Until and unless the majority Malay feel they can accept a non-Malay as prime minister, it is status quo ante. Period,” Mahathir added.

Fear mongering

Meanwhile, Lim regretted that his explanation of the constitutional provision of the prime minister to Malaysian students in Manchester last month was exploited by irresponsible elements.

He said this was done to “intensify a sense of fear and insecurity of the Malays about the future which, coupled with an unscrupulous and unprincipled use of lies, falsehoods, fake news and hate speech in the era of social media, make Malays feel that a non-Malay prime minister was imminent”.

Among those who jumped on this fear-mongering bandwagon were Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin and Bersatu lawmaker Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

Wan Fayhsal had called for the Federal Constitution to be amended so that only Malay Muslims could become the prime minister. - Mkini