YOURSAY | ‘There is a desperate need to understand the psyche of the Malays.’

DAP to be blamed as well for its anti-Islam image

Swipenter: The demonisation of the Chinese and DAP by Umno and BN as anti-Malay and anti-Islam has been going on even before independence, so what do you expect?

Even MCA was at times bandied as such, when it was expedient to do so.

Drngsc: This so-called DAP’s anti-Malay rhetoric is all played up by the mass media.

The people who keep driving home this point do this not because they are uneducated, but because they have been brought up in an era (propagated by Umno) that Malays are under siege.

This country has gone so far down that road that anyone trying to halt and reverse that trend will be seen as anti-Malay. Malaysia has gone so far wrong that doing the right thing is also seen as wrong.

HaveAgreatDay: "... Malays cannot afford properties that can range up to RM800,000 or more" – I do wonder how many working non-Malay Penangites can afford those homes as well.

It is analysts like UKM’s Ahmad Nizamuddin Sulaiman who paint the racial brush against the DAP, and that makes the paint stick harder.

"But the DAP is very vocal about its anti-hudud stand…" - yes, but why not?

Why be like the PKR, which is pretending that PAS is still with the opposition while it has been frolicking with the Umnoputras?

Ah-hah!!!: Each race has its unique characteristics, which can be strengths or weaknesses, depending on the situation and how it is handled.

As a Chinese who grew up among a close group of Malays, perhaps I can see some points which appear to have been missed by the DAP leadership.

The Malays have long been told that they have been cheated of their birthright, their religion challenged by the ‘infidels’ and their race looked down upon by other races, in particular, the Chinese.

There is some basis for these allegations, but much is exaggerated political propaganda.

But top leaders in DAP have played right into Umno’s hands with their arrogant, combative approach. There is a desperate need to understand the psyche of the Malays if DAP hopes to win their hearts and have them listen.

DAP might be right, but the Malays will not listen unless you respect their way of discussing points.

Prudent: Bravo, political analyst Wong Chin Huat. Very good suggestions. The Malays are more the 'feeling' type of people', with a very sensitive emotional make-up. When speaking to them, try to 'feel-speak' with nuances, rather than using a straight arrow.

The straight arrows of former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad also turn them off, but he is a Muslim and therefore tolerable. But when non-Muslims speak to a Malay, they should speak softly and use the indirect, nuanced approach to reach their hearts and minds.

Adam Ningau: Yes, very true. While I generally support DAP's ideology, I disagree with the way DAP delivers its message.

I admire the late Karpal Singh a lot, but I have reservations with his infamous "over my dead body" remark on hudud.

Most of the non-Muslims are against hudud but we have to tone it down a notch when it comes to this sensitive topic. DAP can state its political stand on hudud without using such strong words.

FellowMalaysian: As the ruling government that champions itself in defending Malay rights, the BN-Umno rhetoric, like it or not, has plenty of influence in the thoughts and minds of the Malays.

They are influenced, if not cajoled, into accepting agitprop dished out by these unscrupulous politicians out to win votes and support. So, it is the Malays themselves who need to think more critically before they accept such dogmas.

Fateh: Now is not the time to play the blame game. The country is in such a precarious situation, economically and socially, and these need to be addressed immediately with constructive and effective policies before the country goes into shambles.

Wong Fei Hoong: What's wrong with voicing out any issues that concern the nation and the people? Why not sanction Najib Abdul Razak and Umno for their pro-Malay stand and not a pro-Malaysian stand.

DAP is very clear about its objective and should voice out issues that affect the rakyat. It may hurt some people but that's the way things are.

Middle Path: DAP standing for the good of the whole country is not good enough for those still obsessed about race and religion. Stealing from the country is okay, so long as the loot is shared.

Not Convinced: Politics is a game of perception. That most Malays perceive DAP as anti-Malay shows that DAP has lost the perception game.

While DAP leaders may argue that such a perception is wrong, but to many Malays, this perception is reality.

Therefore, like it or not, DAP will need to rethink its strategy and how it should get its message across to the Malays.

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