Ex-DPM Tun Dr Ismail was 'colour-blind'

Wise words: Tawfik says his father, Dr Ismail always felt there was no difference between being Malay or Chinese.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s diversity was the bedrock of its move towards nationhood, says the son of one of the country’s founding fathers.

As such, it was historically inaccurate to say that “Malaysia is a Malay country”, said Tawfik Ismail, whose father was Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, the second deputy prime minister.