PM Anwar fails to explain ethnic and religious discrimination in Malaysia internationally

 

THERE is much fanfare of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to India. In his main speech, he spoke of the brotherly ties between him and “brother” Narendra Modi, his Indian counterpart.

I expressed hope that Anwar will put back the relationship between the two countries on a better pedestal unlike the strained ties under twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Mahathir’s unsavoury comments about the incorporation of Kashmir into the Indian union and the amendment to the Citizenship Act was the source of tension between Putrajaya and New Delhi.

If I am not mistaken, India retaliated by decreasing the palm oil imports from Malaysia costing billions. With the exit of Dr Mahathir, the status quo was restored to some extent.

Today India is one the main trading partner of Malaysia with the potential for further improvements. India has much to offer in terms of technical skills training, artificial intelligence, robotic technology and others. Malaysia also hosts a huge presence of Indian workers.

India is very diverse country with hundreds of languages. Although Hindus are in the majority, there are also Muslims, Christians and others. The former president of India was Muslim nuclear physicist Abdul Kalam while the present president is a woman from the lower caste.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim attends the official reception at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan during his three-day official visit to India from Aug 19-21, 2024. Greeting his is his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi (Image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook)

Anwar not painting real picture

Even though the phenomenon of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) is on the rise, there is no discrimination of race or religion in the country. India is very much a secular country.

At the same time, India faces problems of regionalism linked to the dominance of particular ethnic groups in states. Muslims often complain of being discriminated by the Hindu majority. It is not that India is free from ethnic and religious problems.

Anwar in his speech in India extolled the virtues of democracy, ethnic and religious pluralism in India and Malaysia. He gave the impression that both the countries respect and dignify the ethnic and religious minorities in both the countries.

It is well and good for Anwar to extoll the virtues of ethnic and religious pluralism in both the countries. Was Anwar right in stating that race and religious relationships in Malaysia is same as in India?

There are similarities and differences between India and Malaysia but it wrong for Anwar to give the impression that there is no race and religious discrimination in Malaysia.

Malays by virtue of being Bumiputera enjoy disproportionate power and privileges compared to the non-Malays, Chinese and Indians. The use of the concept of Malay dominance (Ketuanan Melayu) has ensured that the non-Malays will have secondary role in the country.

The public service and the armed forces, for examples, are completely dominated by the Malays. It is unthinkable for a non-Malay to become Malaysia’s PM. Nevertheless, there are certain constitutional respects for the rights of the non-Malays such as the use of their mother tongue, existence of vernacular schools and religious worship.

Anwar announced that the Madani government is set to allocate a substantial fund of RM1 bil to foster a new generation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in high-growth sectors at the Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) 2024 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre on March 2, 2024 (Image credit: Bernama)

Telling half-truth

While Anwar talks about ethnic and religious pluralism and democracy in Malaysia, he never explained why there is ethnic and religious discrimination in the country. Why are non-Malays treated as second- and third-class citizens of the country?

Anwar likes to give the impression that he is true democrat but why are non-Malays discriminated and marginalised in the country?

Anwar’s defence of the quota system of entry into the country’s matriculation programme and public universities make a mockery of his commitment to high democratic and progressive values.

Some of the public institutions of higher learning only cater for the Bumiputera and not others although these are sustained by taxpayers’ money which are contributed by all the ethnic groups in the country.

How can Malaysia be compared with India with the former treating non-Malays as second-class citizens of the country?

Anwar probably thinks that those in India and other countries do not know much about Malaysia. He thinks he can get away by telling them half-truths and half-lies.

A recent book on Anwar extolls his virtues as a leader who believes in international diplomacy  through dialogue.

Anwar’s support of the Palestinian cause is no measure of his international standing. He is not even respected in the Arab World or the US to have a meaningful impact on the resolution of the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. 

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia