Soi Lek's faith in 1M'sia to oust Perkasa 'nuisance'
INTERVIEW Since the term 1Malaysia entered the Malaysian lexicon two years ago, it has become the subject of much praise, discussion and sometimes harsh ridicule.
INTERVIEW Since the term 1Malaysia entered the Malaysian lexicon two years ago, it has become the subject of much praise, discussion and sometimes harsh ridicule.
The brainchild of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, 1Malaysia has won its share of supporters who lauded the term as a rallying cry for unity among diverse ethnic groups.
But critics call it an empty slogan as government policies and politics along racial lines remain unchanged and divisions seem perhaps even more pronounced now.
MCA president Chua Soi Lek, despite helming a political party that admits solely ethnic Chinese, is a firm proponent of 1Malaysia.
In a recent interview with Malaysiakini , Chua said 1Malaysia cannot be achieved overnight, estimating that it may take up to 10 years before attitudes begin to change.
He said Malaysia's population is still be bound by their ethnic identities, or "racial pigeonhole" as he calls it, until they can ultimately accept a common meeting point.
But Chua believes that 1Malaysia took off on the wrong footing because it was introduced after the March 2008 general election.
"Because of (the election results), everybody was gung-ho in saying that it is good for the country. That now we have a two-party system," he said.
Going back to the ‘basics'
The aftermath of the elections, according to Chua, left politicians worried and others emboldened, thus leading them to take a more racialised stand.
"This is because politicians everywhere in the world are the same... it goes back to basics and fundamentals - race and religion - to get traction and support, which is rather unfortunate," he said.
Although Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali immediately comes to mind with this description, Chua refuses to be drawn into a debate on the former's many controversial remarks.
Ibrahim leads Malay rights pressure group Perkasa, which sprang to life after the 2008 election, and was fuelled by the idea that the polls led to a loss of Malay dominance in politics.
Perkasa has been a vocal advocate for more bumiputera privileges and behaves like an Umno watchdog, barking at everything it deems a federal government concession to non-Malays.
Another entity often blamed for fanning racial flames is Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia . Coupled with Ibrahim, their critics claim that their abrasiveness toward non-Malays are major obstacles for 1Malaysia.
Ibrahim Ali is a ‘nuisance'
Chua disagrees with this notion, instead believing that if 1Malaysia's notion of social integration becomes a collective aspiration, the likes of Ibrahim and Utusan cannot stop it.
"To me, Ibrahim is a nuisance," said Chua, blaming the "new media" for giving Ibrahim unwarranted attention.
"He is only an independent MP. He gets (so much) publicity. I'm sure he is enjoying it. Never in his lifetime has he enjoyed so much publicity.
"Even when he was a deputy minister, he never enjoyed the kind of publicity he has today. So he would continue to sing like that," he said.
For Chua, he does not agree that Ibrahim is influential publicly or in terms of government policy, even if the National Economic Action Council claims that Perkasa had compelled the watering down of the New Economic Model.
In pointing out that few in Umno ever challenge Ibrahim's views, and thus perhaps implicitly agree with him, Chua said Umno leaders know not to give the Perkasa leader more prominence.
"The more you debate, the more you dignify him. The more you respond, the more you report, the more you dignify him," he said.
Merit-based affirmative action sought
Chua was coy, however, when asked to comment on how Ibrahim and Utusan seem to get away with absolute impunity, despite their often over-the-top racial posturing.
"How do you know they are getting away (with it)? Action doesn't mean it has to be immediate," he said.
Asked whether the much-debated "entitlement culture" would be an obstacle to 1Malaysia, Chua said it was only natural that some groups would resist.
"No race in the world would want to ultimately enjoy what they have enjoyed (for so long). Just like the subsidies that you enjoy.
"Whoever that wants to reduce subsidies will end up with people who are not happy, despite knowing that subsidies in the long term is bad for the country and the economy," he said.
He argued that MCA wants this culture of ethnocentric relations to be replaced with a needs and merits-based system for affirmative action policies to benefit everyone in Malaysia.
"To be fair. It has eradicated poverty. Today, all Malaysians are better than our forefathers. You may not agree, but that is not facing the facts," he said.
Part 1: Soi Lek: Chinese balancing act has gone awry
Part 2: Soi Lek's faith in 1M'sia to oust Perkasa 'nuisance'
Part 3: Chua wants scholarships system revamped
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