COMMENT | In October 2008, the then Selangor menteri besar, Khalid Ibrahim, appointed Low Siew Moi as acting general manager (GM) of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

Almost immediately, six bodies representing the staff objected to the appointment of a senior official as acting general manager because she is Chinese.

Low, 57, a trained accountant, had served PKNS for 35 years, with her last post being deputy GM for corporate development.

In their joint memorandum to Khalid, the staff associations said: “PKNS was established for Malays and to fulfil the Malay agenda. Because of this, the organisation needs to be led by a Malay.”

As if it were a religious organisation, the memorandum stated that...