Race-y reflections

Dr Mahathir announcing the formation of a new coalition comprising Malay-based parties, non-governmental organisations, academics and professionals, recently. – AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

THE last thing the country needs is another political entity that champions race and religion exclusively. Who cares if it’s called a coalition, movement, or political party?

Malaysia has allowed race and religion, as well as rampant corruption, to become the bane of its existence. This makes for such a toxic combination.

There’s nothing worse than taking a position or stand in the name of God and race, especially if it’s purportedly done for political reasons.

On the cusp of Malaysia’s 65th National Day, it’s soul-sapping to read about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announcing the formation of a new coalition comprising Malay-based parties, non-governmental organisations, academics and professionals, too.

The Gerakan Tanah Air coalition includes his party, Pejuang, the National Indian Muslim Alliance (Iman), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa).

Dr Mahathir says the movement was formed to change the government and challenge Umno in the next general election, “and to fight for the interest of the Malays.”

Despite losing all the 42 seats Pejuang contested in the Johor state elections, Dr Mahathir is still determined to contest in 120 constituencies from the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.In the Johor state polls, the fledgling party was humiliated when all the Pejuang candidates lost their deposits.

Although Dr Mahathir blamed “money politics” for their defeat, the results were hardly surprising since not many voters found the party appealing.

It seems that Dr Mahathir has opted to use race as a selling point in the elections.

It has worked effectively in many predominantly Malay constituencies, especially for Umno, PAS and even Bersatu, whose membership is only open to bumiputras or Muslims.

In the case of Barisan Nasional, it has component parties representing different ethnic groups, where the politics of consensus can be practised. Likewise, the Perikatan Nasional is a coalition with some semblance of diversity.

But the same cannot be said of Gerakan Tanah Air, with the party deciding that it has no intention – or would even try tokenism – to work with other Malaysian groups.

The formation of Gerakan Tanah Air is a retrogressive move. It is a devastating setback to politics in Malaysia, where there are still many politicians who prefer to be champions of their narrow communal interests.

Despite claiming to uphold the racial and religious interests of their communities, corruption has eaten into institutions which they are supposed to protect.

There are also religious figures, especially from PAS, who have even become apologists for corruption and worse, have proclaimed that a corrupt Muslim leader is more acceptable than a non-Muslim leader.

We don’t need to go into details but there have been enough court cases where politicians, using the mantra of race and religion, have enriched themselves at inconceivable scales.

They have plundered the nation’s wealth and stolen from their communities with nary a second thought.

How these politicians get away with such warped thinking in this day and age is simply mind-boggling.

The fact that PAS keeps getting re-elected in some states probably reinforces their belief that they can get away with anything, so long as race and religion are utilised.

Malaysia desperately needs personalities, not just politicians, who are prepared to speak up for good governance by using a Malaysian approach, because the future of Malaysia is dependent on every citizen.

No political party is going to form the next federal government without the participation of all races.

Ironically, while Dr Mahathir talks of Malay-Muslim unity, his opponents are, in fact, the pre-existing Malay-based parties.