Chinese speaking Chinese causes Malays to 'buruk sangka': PAS No 2

PAS MUKTAMAR | PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man believes distrust is a major cause of divisions between races in Malaysia.

He opined that language is a factor that causes distrust - specifically vernacular languages that he said cause Malays to think negatively of others.

“One factor causing suspicions is language, so we must make Bahasa Malaysia the intermediary language.

“If each race speaks their own language, there will be buruk sangka (bad assumptions), because ‘I don’t understand what they’re saying’.

“When Chinese speak Chinese, Malays don’t understand so there will be bad assumptions. (The same goes when) Indians speak Indian,” he said at a press conference after officiating the 65th PAS Youth muktamar in Kerdau, Temerloh, last night.

Comprehensive review

Tuan Ibrahim said if everyone spoke one language, it would reduce instances of bad assumptions.

He called for a comprehensive review of how Malaysians live from young, including schools, housing, and activities.

He pointed out that even in rukun tetangga (neighbourhood watches) there are racial divides.

READ MORE: Learn Mandarin, Tamil to get closer to non-Malay voters, PAS Youth told

“Everyone loves our country, and no one wants clashes between races, religions and so on.

“That is why we (PAS) have a model (for united living), and I feel the Kelantan model can be an example,” he said.

Earlier in the press conference, Tuan Ibrahim claimed that there was almost no racial disunity issue in Kelantan.

He cited how non-Muslims in the state were free to practise their faith, and that the tallest Buddha statue in the country was also there.

Win back trust

Prior to the press conference, while officiating the PAS Youth muktamar, Tuan Ibrahim had urged the wing to work towards winning back the trust of non-Muslims.

“They (non-Muslims) were scared to get close to us because we had been demonised (by our enemies) using extreme lies.

“PAS was painted as an extremist party. The ‘Green Wave’ was pictured as something dangerous to the country, something detrimental to the country’s stability and rights of others to practise their beliefs,” he said.

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