By Shannon Teoh
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim admitted today that his appointment as DAP vice chairman in 2008 has failed to bring in Malay support to the party that has been labelled as Chinese chauvinists by its critics.
However, he said that this was not the fault of the party whose members are largely Chinese as it has shown its commitment to multiracial policies, but that Malays and Bumiputeras were the ones choosing to hold back.
“If it was to recruit more Malays, then I admit that I’ve failed completely,” he said of his appointment as vice chairman three years ago.
The founder of graft watchdog Transparency International Malaysia said that DAP’s measures — including his appointment — to appeal to more Malays had failed as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) had caused “racial polarisation” with policies that “divide rather than unite.”
“It will take a long time to convince Malays, especially in rural areas, that DAP is a multiracial party. It is not the fault of the party but their own fault for holding back despite our record of looking after all communities,” he told reporters at the launch of his book “Someone Had To Say It”.
Umno and Malay media controlled by the ruling coalition have repeatedly accused DAP of stirring up Chinese sentiment against Malays and attempting to do away with the special position of Bumiputeras.
Just two weeks ago, the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia ran an unsubstantiated report that DAP was plotting with the church to install a Christian prime minister and turn Malaysia into a Christian state.
Recent by-elections and the April 16 Sarawak state polls have seen Muslim Bumiputeras swing towards the Umno-led BN while Chinese voters continue to back opposition parties strongly.
Tunku Aziz added today that his appointment, and that of Zairil Khir Johari as political secretary to the secretary-general in January this year, was not just due to their race but also merit and their belief in “working together as Malaysians.”
He said that it was still “early days” in Zairil’s — son of former Umno stalwart and Education Minister Tan Sri Mohd Khir Johari — appointment but it would eventually show that “the leadership is serious about being a multiracial party.”
“Why can’t Malays represent Chinese or Chinese represent Malays? We just have to make sure the party practises policies that will be beneficial to all races,” said the former special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General.