While Article 43 of the Malaysian Constitution is very clear that any Malaysian, regardless of race or religion, can become the Prime Minister, Malaysian Chinese accept the political and demographic realities of a Malay being Prime Minister in the foreseeable future.
This is why the DAP had never suggested that it should provide a candidate to be Prime Minister or raised the issue of a non-Malay becoming Prime Minister, and Dr. Koh Tsu Koon is debasing political debate and insulting the intelligence of Malaysians when in his reaction, he alleged that the Opposition parties are obsessed with acquiring the Prime Minister’s post and that the Opposition would probably have a first, second and third prime ministers.
This incident should make Malaysians more vigilant of attempts by certain quarters to arouse racial feelings, suspicions and disaffection so as to perpetuate the colonial tactics of "divide and rule" of the Malaysian people by compartmentalising them into water-tight communal stereotypes.
I am particularly shocked by the communal reactions of Hishammuddin and veteran UMNO leader, Datuk Rais Yatim.
This is Utusan Malaysia’s report yesterday of Rais’s reaction:
"'Saya berasa hairan. Di manakah kecintaan mereka (pemimpin Pas) terhadap bangsa sendiri,' tegasnya.
"Beliau berkata, perbuatan itu menunjukkan betapa lemahnya politik agama yang diamalkan oleh Pas sehingga memberikan kesempatan kepada bukan Melayu untuk melemahkan ketuanan Melayu di Malaysia."
What I find unbelievable is that after Nik Aziz’s statement, a national MCA leader, Dr. Chua Soi Lek, could seek to inflame Malay communal suspicions and fears by the racist warning that "kuasa Melayu akan terhapus jika UMNO tidak diberi mandat secukupnya oleh orang Melayu dalam setiap pilihan raya umum".
Chua said in a speech to Malays in Batu Pahat:
''Kehancuran UMNO bermakna kehancuran kuasa Melayu. Fikirlah dan buatlah keputusan terbaik untuk orang Melayu.''
Can Liong Sik explain whether Chua’s racist statement represents the official policy position of the MCA - and if so to state how "Malay power" would be destroyed if Barisan Nasional is denied parliamentary two-thirds majority in the next general election - or even if Barisan Nasional is toppled by Barisan Alternative, which I do not personally envisage as a realistic possibility in the next election?
Is the MCA suggesting that with UMNO suffering electoral set-backs, Malay power would be replaced by Chinese power or Indian power - and if so, how could this come about when the overwhelming majority of the parliamentary seats in the country are dominant Malay constituencies!
This is the type of irresponsible and seditious racial politicking to stoke up communal suspicions, fears and tensions that Malaysia can do without after four decades of nation-building and in our tenth general election in the nation’s history.
I call on Liong Sik to repudiate Dr. Chua Soi Lek’s racist and
seditious politicking that electoral setbacks for UMNO would mean
the destruction of Malay power in Malaysia and to nip in the bud such irresponsible
attempt to arouse communal suspicions, fears and tensions in the country.
It is such irresponsible, racial and seditious politicking
which would make the next general election the "dirtiest" in the naiton’s
history.
The Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah should initiate investigations as to whether Dr. Chua had committed the offence of sedition in making such an inflammatory and seditious speech.
(9/11/99)