The previous Pakatan Harapan government struggled to communicate its policies as opponents fanned racial sentiments among both Malays and non-Malays, conceded senator Liew Chin Tong.

Liew said while Malay antipathy was more visible due to issues such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All (Icerd), "pro-MCA" Chinese media were also fanning Chinese sentiment.

He said issues like the abolition of the death penalty, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College and three pages of Jawi lessons in the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia textbook were used as explosive emotional issues among the Chinese.

He said the racialised atmosphere had even affected some in DAP.

"The highly racialised political situation that we faced daily had made some of us forget about...