GEORGE TOWN – Multi-ethnic parties in the country have not fared well in the past four state elections due to infighting and the inability to shake off the polemics of race and religion, which their rivals are pushing across, observed some political leaders.
However, the issue can be overcome if the parties championing diversity place more focus on the economy, instead of trying to take on race and religious-based parties who use money to obtain support on their terms, said Gerakan vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh.
Money may not be everything but people still need it to survive. But we must demonstrate the right type of leadership to help people earn more money.”
Speaking to The Vibes, he said that political parties need to champion the issues currently on voters’ minds, rather than being idealistic or looking at what beckons in the future.
Presently, voters are concerned with how to sustain middle-class lifestyles in the face of inflation, limited numbers of quality jobs, an uncertain global economy and the consequences of living almost three years under the threat of Covid-19.
He pointed out that voters no longer care about who is in charge of the country as long as they can address the economic downturn as well as the rising costs of living.
“People are keener to talk about bread-and-butter issues. We need to put food on the table. There may be misgivings about scandals and corruption but what concerns the people now is what the government can do for them – period,” said Baljit.
He added that the public is struggling due to the impact that Covid-19 and the various lockdowns have had on Malaysia’s economy.
Therefore, an astute political leader who can address the issue eloquently may fare well in the upcoming 15th general election.
Baljit observed that multiracial parties struggle against their race-based counterparts, such as those within Umno-led Barisan Nasional, simply because, in reality, the public do not consider the former to be truly multiracial.
Taking DAP as an example, the Gerakan leader pointed out that, despite being multiracial, the social democratic party is still driven by Chinese leaders.
Baljit, who hails from Gerakan, which also claims to be multiracial, also admitted that his own party is mainly led by Chinese, but for them, there is a “difference of approach”.
Meanwhile, he observed that even though PKR also claims to be multiracial, it is still dominated by Malays who are beholden to party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Similarly, East Malaysian parties in Sabah and Sarawak such as Warisan are led by politicians from local Bumiputera groups.
PKR’s problem isn’t race or religion but betrayal
On the other hand, Penang PKR vice-chairman Jason Ong explained that the struggle the party faces is not due to race or religious factors, but it is instead caused by several former “reformasi” leaders who had betrayed and abandoned the party’s cause in their quest for power.
Ong is confident that it is only a matter of time before PKR will rise once more, as the nation’s political landscape needs a multiracial composition so that all Malaysians can be on the same growth trajectory.
“There is room and space for a moderate multi-ethnic party. People prefer that as they are living in a multiracial country. There is not one day that goes by that a normal Malaysian does not meet and greet a Malay, a Chinese or an Indian, or other minorities.”
It is for the same purpose that Ong subscribes to Anwar’s call for a “big tent” approach that would welcome everyone, including Umno members who reject corruption.
Meanwhile, former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, who has left DAP for the Sabah-based Warisan, said that multiracial parties need to do a better job in communicating their struggle.
Ooi, who came to fame during his early years as a blogger, said that a lack of a proper communication game plan has led to misconceptions on what a multiracial party actually is.
This has allowed certain parties to sow misconception about multiracial parties, he said.
He hopes Warisan can get the point across that multi-ethnic parties are here to stay, he added.
Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong said that all races co-exist in harmonious fashion in Sabah, and the party’s emphasis is to bring this formula to the peninsula.
“This is why Warisan decided to become a national party instead of one which is just Sabah-centric,” he said.
“We feel the adage of using race and religion is unsustainable in a world shifting away from such polemics towards more economic and competitive needs.” – The Vibes, May 4, 2022
