Racial politics remains top issue

AUG 4 — Amid the usually staid setting of a studio at Radio Television Malaysia, the country's state-owned organisation considered by critics for many years to be propaganda machinery for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, a lively discussion on politics took place live and uncensored yesterday evening.

On a news crawler at the bottom of the screen over RTM2, live and unedited text messages in English and Chinese were displayed.

In English, one viewer had written: "BN is a racist group. BN uses racism to cover corruption."

Most of the other messages also contained similar sentiments against the ruling coalition, and was telling about Chinese sentiment five months after the March general election.

A significant number of messages called for political parties to embrace multiracialism and discard the race-based system of the BN.

Based on the text messages alone, it could be surmised that animosity towards the BN, especially Umno, remains at an all-time high.

On screen, where another unprecedented situation was taking place in the form of four Chinese leaders from four different parties across the political divide being seated together in the same forum on television, the invited guests did not disagree with the views being articulated by viewers as they spoke.

"If Umno does not change, the Chinese and Indians will not vote for BN. The MCA, MIC and Gerakan will have to close shop," Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, the former MCA vice-president said.

"The MCA must tell Umno to take a more multiracial approach."

Chua was among the four guests on the special live RTM2 show discussing the consequences of the proposed Umno-Pas talks.

The discussion centred on how the talks and the concept of Malay unity would affect non-Malays and the concept of multiracialism in the country.

The other guests were the DAP's Teng Chang Kim, Gerakan's Chang Ko Youn and PKR's Low Chee Chong.

Chang pointed out that it was dangerous for any party which used race or religion to garner support. He said if race and religion were used together, it would be "scary."

"We must all consider ourselves first as Malaysians, and govern on the basis of upholding democracy and justice."

Since suffering heavy losses in the elections, both the MCA and Gerakan have been under pressure from party grassroots to articulate more forcefully Chinese sentiment.

Chua, who was forced out of office because of a sex scandal just before the elections, has been leading the push for a more forceful MCA.

"The MCA is still a Chinese party but it should become issues-based, and have a multiracial outlook. These issues include corruption, abuse of power, and Hindraf. They are all our issues.

"But we have to remain careful now though because the Malays feel threatened," he said.

He also pointed out that after more than 50 years in existence it was difficult to bring reforms to a party like Umno.

The DAP's Teng said that it would be difficult for Malaysia to bring a quick end to race-based politics.

"We are only now growing up as a country. I would say we are at a stage where we are no longer children but still not quite an adult yet," he said.

Ultimately, viewers appeared to agree with him, despite the overwhelming support for more multiracialism in the political system.

The result of a poll conducted while the show was on was that 85 per cent of the respondents said Malaysia would never rid itself of racial politics.

-TMI