COMMENT | The recent statements to forbid political engagements, similar to Abdul Hadi Awang’s call that Muslims are forbidden to vote for "kafir” a few decades ago, is worrying.

The recent call by groups to stay away from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, or for MCA to stay away from Umno or PAS smells of 'apartheid.'

MCA was formed to cultivate and build inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill towards our national multi-racial and multi-religious tolerance and unity. It was for this purpose the Alliance and National Front was used as a platform and vehicle to promote tolerance, unity and harmony.

MCA is against all attempts to divide political parties along racial and religious lines, when the very founding of these race-based parties is to inculcate racial understanding and tolerance towards national unity and harmony.

We cannot allow these attempts to segregate race and religion to begin or continue. The attempts to introduce 'apartheid'-like segregation and separation ought to be condemned.

MCA will continue to walk the path of moderation, tolerance and engagement towards the middle road.

We are happy to note that PAS has moderated their stand of alienating or forbidding their voters from voting for non-Muslims. There is always a starting point towards moderation, and MCA is happy to welcome all engagements towards moderation.

MCA has had a history and a good track record of watering down extremism and 'ultras' in the past, such as Mahathir’s thoughts and philosophies in the past, as contained in The Malay Dilemma, despite repeated attempts by Lim Kit Siang and DAP calling upon the Chinese to ostracise us for working with ultras and extremists.

MCA is happy to note that we have succeeded in watering down racial and religious extremism in the past, and will continue to hold onto the moderation and promoting multi-racial and multi-religious tolerance through the BN concept and platform.

Other parties can come and go or choose to join us or converge to form similar platforms of moderating and promoting tolerance and moderation.

MCA would like to assure its members and the rakyat that at no time will MCA compromise on the rights and dignities of all Malaysians, and will continue to uphold the spirit, intent and content of the Federal Constitution.

TI LIAN KER is MCA publicity spokesperson and chair of its religious harmony bureau.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.