The stupidity of abusing race to stay in power

COMMENT | For many years, Malaysiakini columnists have been writing on the need to transcend racial politics in the country. At times it feels like a lost cause. We’re ploughing the same field, but seldom do we break any new ground.

Rarely, I think, do our written words echo in Putrajaya. Regardless, we continue to write. As I wrote soon after Pakatan Harapan was elected - could the regime change be likened to shuffling a deck of new cards but dealing in the same old politics of racial differentiation?

What I hoped would not transpire was Harapan’s metamorphosis into an old Umno. Unfortunately, after less than a year in government, Harapan is turning, as evident in Dr Mahathir Mahathir’s remark that the election was not “merely about seeking victory for a political party but to redeem the pride of the (Malay) race”.

Harapan and the Umno-PAS opposition are manifestly racing the country to the ground, each respectively flying the flag ‘Untuk agama, bangsa dan negara’.

Instead of taking the country forward with fundamental reforms and progressive race-neutral policies, both the incumbent and opposition are steeped on “redeeming the pride of the Malay race”.

This was noticeable in BN’s secretary-general, Nazri Abdul Aziz’s recent statement on the Umno-PAS alliance that “for the sake of political survival”, he would “now prioritise Malays and Islam first, before the diversity of races".

What beggars belief is the stupidity of Nazri’s racialised statement. Malays today account for 69 percent of the population. The numerical, religious and political dominance of the Malays over non-Malays exposes Nazri’s utterly absurd racial slur...