YOURSAY | ‘Non-Malays will want the PM to prove his sincerity first.’

PM cautions M'sians against politicians who use race for personal gain

TheRock: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, to prove that you are sincere in wanting racial unity, please do the following:

1. Declare that you are Malaysian first and Malay second.

2. Include more non-Malays in your cabinet. You can do this by sacking some of your incompetent ministers, such as the health minister and his deputies, the economy minister and his deputy, as well as the women, family and community development minister and her deputy. Replace these sacked ministers with non-Malays.

3. Take action against the PAS MP who said the Bible is distorted.

I do strongly believe that the non-Malays will want you to prove your sincerity. Otherwise, it's just ‘talk only’.

JackJack: Sometimes we wonder if the prime minister knows what he is talking about. Bigots and racists are all around him in the corridors of power. He has never reprimanded any of them when they spew racist rhetoric.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor insinuated Indians are drunk. He demolished Hindu temples. People were calling for our PM to speak up and reprimand him. Did he? No. He kept quiet. People had to turn to the ruler for help.

Until and unless we see him putting a stop to all these bigots and racists, we will never believe our PM himself is not a racist. As PM, he should practice what he preaches first before asking others to do the same.

New Hope: It is very strange for the PM to say this (warning Malaysians against politicians who play up racial sentiments).

Has he forgotten how he got his position in the first place? Has he also forgotten when he said that he is "Malay first, Malaysian second"?

If he did not play the Malay card, he would not have been the PM in the first place. Kata periuk, belanga hitam (a case of the pot calling the kettle black).

MokhtarAhmad: Muhyiddin, the fact you formed a Malay-centric government speaks volumes about your standing as a racist politician. Cakap tak serupa bikin (not practising what you preach).

Sidelining the minorities for your own self-serving needs shows you are not cut out to be the leader of a multiracial/multireligious country, unlike Indonesian President Joko Widodo who is fair towards all races and religions.

So, practise what you preach before you give a national speech as the PM of Malaysia. Wasalam.

Annonnymous 080: It's the Year of the Ox for the Chinese and we can expect loads of bull, but it’s certainly unexpected from a leader who called himself Malay first and Malaysian second.

Weren't you the bully who stirred up Malay-Muslim sentiments when you whipped up support at Bersatu’s final meeting with Dr Mahathir Mohamad?

Vijay47: Dear Muhyiddin, you and your entire cabinet are presently suffering devastatingly poor credibility and I regret to inform that your personal rating comes out the worst.

Thus, it was a shock to hear you make moving speeches about being cautious of those relying on racial slants, especially within the government.

Nevertheless, I am inclined to believe that there could be some sincerity behind what you urge, since even you would not want to be further labelled as reeking in abysmal hypocrisy. I am proud to say I have more faith in my prime minister than others may care to harbour.

So, it would be a great boon to your image and a lifting of our doubts if you should assuage us of the steps you have taken to eliminate racial discrimination in your administration. I have only three questions to ask of you:

1. It is widely believed that the civil service currently comprises a large majority of one community only. This would surely appear unfair compared to the actual racial composition in the country. What have you done to level the playing field?

2. One of the measures you embarked upon with much enthusiasm and fanfare was the appointment of numerous persons to head the many GLCs (government-linked companies) we have. An analysis from you would be welcome. It could be a source of great comfort to us. Then again, it might be cause for additional distress.

3. Recently, you announced more frontliners had been engaged to help the nation take on Covid-19. Perhaps you could also give us a breakdown of the fresh appointees; it could show the world that we are all in this together.

Yes, just three simple questions. Your answer will go a long way to proving that you are truly committed to what you preach.

Manjit Bhatia: This is a complete farce coming from Muhyiddin who proudly called himself Malay first and Malaysian second.

Now he offers this - when his Bersatu party is exclusive for Malays and Umno is also exclusive for Malays. When the civil service is the site of ‘ketuananism’ and Malay socialism, equally the security forces and the police, and just about every institution. The official religion is Islam, there are universities exclusively for Malays, have I missed anything?

And now suddenly there is a call for "national unity". The timing is most peculiar. Why now? Because the political system is in a worse abyss than in 2018-2020? When the economy is drowning in the Klang River? When the opposition is in total disarray? And what are the details of how this unity will be attained?

Most of all, will it stop, once and for all, the expression of hatred and suspicions across race and religion? Or will agents of Malay-exclusive parties continue the vilification and persecution of non-Malays? Where is the line? What are the methods of policing and punishing these affronts?

Your guess is as good as mine. As I see it, this is a joke. A premier farce that attempts to give Muhyiddin and Perikatan Nasional (PN) some measure of legitimacy in the face of their illegitimacy.

This is nothing more than a gross public relations stunt.

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