YOURSAY | ‘There's a saying that you have to fight fire with fire.’

New party for Malays, bumiputera, says Kadir Jasin

Anonymous 2405561458171517: Although as a general principle, a race-based party is a big no-no, in this unique case, the formation of an Umno-style party by ex-Umno president and deputy president who have many supporters in Umno has the potential to take away Umno members who would otherwise never vote for a multi-racial party.

People who will never ever vote for DAP, PKR or even PAS but are disillusioned by Umno will now have an option to vote for another Malay/bumiputera-based party.

If former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin were to form another multiracial party like PKR, those hardcore Umno supporters may not give their support to the new party.

Those who are willing to vote for Pakatan Harapan have already done so and we know their numbers are still not adequate, given the gerrymandering, etc. So, the strategy of forming this party allows the opposition to take away more votes from Umno.

In the short term, this could be a good way to tip the balance.

Freemsia: Let's be very honest. Malaysian politics is still very much race-based (especially among the rural voters). The only way to win is to win the rural votes.

And the rural voters like BN because they see it (despite the warts and all) as a Malay-centric coalition (with Umno having dominant decision-making powers) that will take care of the Malay race.

To win the rural vote, another better alternative is needed. We do need another so-called BN version 2. But BN version 2 must be sold to the rural folk as not just Malay-centric but also plans to cut down corruption, nepotism, etc.

The Mahathir-Harapan coalition must also be seen as being able to take care of the rural Malays, to be able to cut down corruption and grow the economic pie.

Ipoh PP: There's a saying that you have to fight fire with fire. So in this context, a non-Malay/bumiputera party will not be able to fight Umno.

Much as I am apprehensive of this new party, but I still need to support it to fight Umno. Mahathir, the old 'fox', knows what he is doing, so let him now do his thing.

Emperor: Kadir Jasin, why do you say "fight of the Malays/bumiputera"? Please explain what this fight or struggle is all about.

Why is the theme always aggression? Why can't it be simply love, compassion for all and humanity?

Words like fight and struggle only shows a very low level of consciousness which does not befit Malaysians, especially Malays/bumiputera who form the majority.

Cogito Ergo Sum: At least PKR is open to non-Malays who actually hold some high ranking party positions. This is despite its Umno DNA. But Mahathir, the people are disappointed.

Umno founder Onn Jaafar had the right idea but the time was not right for an inclusive party at that time.

Surely, time and the tide of corruption, bigotry and racism would have taught the founding fathers of this new party that the nation, not just the Malays, need a new philosophy that encompasses all - a Bangsa Malaysia. A nation of people that are equal in every respect.

Anonymous #13291217: Hello, new party founder members. Aren't you Malaysians? So why form another Malay party in this day and age?

Rupert16: Only fools will expect change by doing the same thing over and over again. Race-based politics is a recipe for disaster.

Just look at what Umno has done to the country - a nation on the slippery slope to becoming the next Zimbabwe.

Doc: It looks like Dr M's party smells, sounds and tastes the same as Umno. Basically the new party has the same characteristics of Umno, but packaged differently.

In short, a "cut-and-paste party" of Umno. I bet the new party's name may be 'Umno Terbaru' or 'Party Umno Control-C & Control-V'.

I guess the aim of this party is to attract the disgruntled Umno members who are not happy with the way Umno is headed under the Najib regime, thus providing them an alternative party with the same characteristics as Umno - a raced based-party, same Umno faces, and which probably will have a similar name too.

VP Biden: The recently held South Africa elections indicate the ANC led by Jacob Zuma has lost considerable number of seats to the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is predominantly white although led by a native African.

How fast South African mindset has matured politically in only 22 years after the end of apartheid, whereas we as a nation are still stuck in this racial mindset after more than 50 years.

In Port Elizabeth, the expected winner from the DA party is a white man in a predominantly black electorate, which was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid movement.

Twenty-two years after the end of apartheid, South African blacks are now voting on issues and not on race. When will Malaysians, especially Malays, realise this?

Anonymous_1371637464: Will it take another 60 years for the Malays to accept that the root cause of corruption, communal disharmony and their own sorry state of poor education and low economic status lies in the apartheid system that pretends to promote race and religion.

Dr M has set back Malaysian politics by decades with this latest move to form a new racist party: this is nothing but a cynical attempt at a reverse takeover of Umno Baru, just as he did to Umno in 1989.

Doesn't Malaysia, including Malays, deserve better?

Worried Sick: Folks, let us give this new party some leeway. It may be their intention to have a bumiputera party to counter Umno in the elections. They may form a coalition just like BN before the elections and to rule the country after that.

It is quite viable if you look at the scenario from another angle. Let us just wait and see.

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