Claims such that there is an acceptable form of racism in Islam is a symptom of how shallow Malaysia’s ideological discourse is, said Negri Sembilan prince Tunku Zain al-Abidin Tuanku Muhriz.

He said such rhetoric is only another of the government’s attempts to divide the people of Malaysia.

“If necessary, liberal ideas are branded as alien and heretical concepts, and new justifications are dreamt up to consolidate state-sponsored divisions.

“Indeed, in the aftermath of the Malaysia day red shirts rally, one politician from the governing party attempted to argue that there is an acceptable ‘Islamic’ form of racism.

“The adoption of such rhetoric, coupled with the vilification of liberalism highlights how malleable our political landscape is; how bereft it is of ideological conviction,” he told an audience in a keynote speech in Petaling Jaya today, officiating the Malaysian Freedom Summit 2015.

Tunku Zain did not mention any names, but was apparently referring to Umno supreme council member Annuar Musa, who made the claim during a speech at the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu rally.

He reportedly said that in Islam, racism is not an issue as long as it does involve oppression of other races.

The rally had also seen anti-Chinese sentiments being bandied about, including calls to abolish Chinese vernacular schools and a violent attempt to storm into Petaling Street.

Tunku Zain, who heads the Institute for Economic and Democratic Affairs (Ideas), said appeals on basis of class, culture, race, or religion is a favourite tactic of those who seek to curtail liberty for political expediency.

“This enables the state to offer ‘protection’ these groups, leading to paternalism, authoritarianism, and the politics of patronage that inevitably spirals into corruption.

“Enemies such as ‘the bourgeoisie’, ‘the Jews’, or ‘the Chinese’ are constructed to further reinforce this paradigm, as defence mechanisms in the forms of various policies are necessary to continue this ‘protection’.

“It is a familiar story wherever class warfare, religious bigotry, or racial supremacy becomes institutionalised,” he said.

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