PETALING JAYA – The blame game for the nation’s intractable race issues took a fresh turn today as a senior MCA figure refuted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s claim that non-Malays are to blame for these problems by refusing to assimilate into Malay culture.
Vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker alleged that it is the intra-communal tensions between “liberals” and “conservatives” within the Malays themselves that have rippled across society.
This is the outcome of the former prime minister’s systematic breaking down of the original multicultural spirit simply to perpetuate his tenure, the senator claimed.
“Liberal Malays seen as progressive and open-minded are now looked at with distrust.”
Ti reminded Dr Mahathir that Umno’s decision not to open the party to non-Malay participation was among reasons why ethnic-based parties were formed.
The country moved forward on the understanding among stakeholders to “accommodate” each other’s interests rather than to “assimilate”, he said, dismissing Dr Mahathir’s comparison with Indonesia and Thailand, which have integrated minorities into the majority’s culture.
The nation’s founders’ spirit of “give and take” became the bedrock of the nation’s freedom from colonial rule, Ti stated.
“It is Dr Mahathir’s rants that divide the nation, not non-Malay political parties.”
Many foreigners have studied Malaysia’s multiracial model of harmony and unity, he noted.
“It is not the ethnic-based parties (themselves) that caused the divide…their wisdom and leadership that have kept this nation intact.” – The Vibes, September 6, 2023
