Are the Malays really losing power? Netizen points out top posts being held by Malays

 

MALAYSIA has long had a political system in which race and ethnicity play a significant role.

The race card has always been a powerful tool employed by politicians to scare voters into voting for them.

That said, the Chinese race will be the brunt of political bashing every time the general election is around the corner.

Visions of Chinese overlords dominating the country’s economy are painted for the masses. Without a certain political party in power, the Chinese will control anything and everything.

But is this the reality of the situation? According to netizen @MFYusoff in a post on X, the reality of the situation is actually in reverse.

The post, which likely held an AI-generated illustration, showed that all the top posts in the nation are currently held by Malays, from the Malay rulers, Prime Minister, army, police, head of justice and many more.

The comment section below has since been turned into a battlefield of words and they are as interesting as they are thought provoking.

“When they cry out about losing power, actually it means the power to embezzle. It is what they are afraid of,” said @AkitiAl who did not elaborate what they were attempting to embezzle. But the answer is clear.

According to netizen @suthakar_MU, it is about losing those non-halal income.

Among other things @TeohPaikLeong said most of the Malays lost faith in themselves as they are lied to by the “politikus,” a derogatory term for politicians who were compared to rats, aka “tikus.”

But @elado249 hit back, pointing out that the real power controlling the economy does not lie in the hands of the Malays.

“Is Jho Low, Nicky Liow Malay too?” added @farhz_neo. “We will lose, one after the other if we don’t speak now,” said @chak_imin12.

Also, @thinkermind_ thinks it is not racist to be voting for one’s race.

Perhaps the bigger question is not who holds the most power, but why discussions on race continue to dominate public discourse decades after independence. 

Until Malaysians can move beyond identity  politics and focus on issues that affect everyone, the race card will likely remain an easy election strategy. 

Whether one agrees with the post or not, it has reignited an uncomfortable conversation about race, perception and political messaging.

As election season draws closer, Malaysians can probably expect many more debates that generate more heat than light.— Focus Malaysia