KUALA LUMPUR – There is nothing wrong with being an ethno-nationalist all-Malay government so long as it is inclusive, said former Umno MP Tawfik Ismail.
The son of former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman said Perikatan Nasional can pride itself on being pro-Malay, but should be able to educate the community on being more accepting of other races.
“I think the political reality in our country is already entrenched. It is very difficult to shake out the pro-Malay bias in the government and the way things are managed.
“But I think if you can convince the Malays that they can be dominant without being dominating, this is a step in the right direction that we should all try to achieve,” he told the Beyond Vision 2020: Growth with Equity in the New Decade webinar, organised by Sekhar Institute, The Vibes and Petra Group, on Thursday.
He was asked to comment on criticism by certain quarters that Budget 2021 seems to be favouring Malays, and what needs to be done to change the situation in the country.
He said issues over the “Budget imbalance” arose only because of the political stresses on the government.
“They are trying to be an all-Malay government in a multiracial country. And, they are trying to prove to the Malays that they are doing more than they need to.
“I think this is the kind of misappropriation of priorities that is rather negative for society as a whole, where there is an interdependency of needs.
“And, I think this is something the government is lacking in. They don’t seem to have a balance in policymaking and the allocation of resources.” – The Vibes, November 15, 2020
Follow The Vibes to read our series of in-depth articles based on discourses held during the webinar titled ‘Beyond Vision 2020: Growth with Equity in the New Decade’, from Thursday till Monday
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