The Malaysian Chinese Organisation Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) today said the recent statement by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that "a prime minister can be a Malaysian of any ethnic origin" can be used by certain quarters to play up some community's sense of insecurity.

To truly promote national integration and strengthen ethnic relations, all political parties should work on the implementation of a genuine affirmative action policy and the enactment of a Race Relations Act instead of paying lip service to the question of race relations, said Suqiu chairperson Quek Suan Hiang.

He stressed that until Malaysians can really put aside the skin colour and ethnic identity, the statement by Mahathir is irrelevant, as what is demanded of a prime minister is not ethnicity, but his or her quality, integrity and policies to be promulgated.

"A genuine affirmative action policy will help all the marginalised and disadvantaged groups in socio-economical development, regardless of their ethnicity and belief," Quek said in a press statement.

He said that since the bumiputras make up the majority of the poverty group, the affirmative action will not harm but actually improve the welfare of the poor bumiputras, preventing some cronies from exploiting their benefits.

"Meantime, the underprivileged non-bumiputras will also be benefitted and this will help eliminated their dissatisfaction of being sidelined under the bumiputraism," he stressed.

Quek pointed out that the affirmative action is also in line with the teachings of Islam and other religions which see all human beings as being equal.

He added that Parliament should work on the enactment of a Race Relations Act that regulates any opinions and actions that endanger ethnic relations and national integration.

"With the protection under the Act, the racial harmony in Malaysia can truly be enhanced. With its enactment, we can also do away with the infamous Internal Security Act and Sedition Act that have existed so long in the name of safeguarding racial harmony," he said.

Suqiu is a coalition of Chinese organisations which put forward a list of demands in the run-up of the last general elections, signed by 2,095 bodies nationwide.

The demands relate to issues of national unity, reform of political organisations, human rights, economy and social development, education, multi-culturalism, environmental protection, women, media, workers and indigenous people.