he time has come for all political leaders to set an example as leaders for all Malaysians to deplore all actions which could provoke inter-racial and inter-religious discord and disharmony and end all politics of race-baiting in the country.
DAP leaders and I have no hesitation in deploring the incident where two Bersih 4 rally participants stomped on the picture of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, for this is not the political or civic culture we want to see in Malaysia.
This is not a stand which I had only taken now, but which has always been my guiding principle in Malaysian politics which in three months’ time on Dec. 1 will mark my full 50 years of political involvement.
This is also not the first time where the DAP had been blamed for something which had nothing to do with the party.
For instance, in January 2014, Penang UMNO staged a gangsterish and most racist demonstration against the DAP in response to a kangkung-theme flash mob event against the Prime Minister, stuffing kangkung into the mouth of Najib’s effigy.
The Penang UMNO demonstration was a most irresponsible, incendiary and seditious incitement of racial and religious hatred, tensions and conflict, threatening with the rhetorical question: “Does DAP want another May 13” and carried the most blood-curdling racist and religious slogans and banners, even with one banner in blood red with the screaming words:“Because of DAPs leaders mouth, May 13, 1969 happened…Want some more?” and other inflammatory banners like “ABCD – Asal Bukan Cina DAP” and “DAP is the enemy of Islam”.
The problem was that the DAP had nothing to do with the kangkung flash-mob event, and I myself was shocked at the stuffing of kangkung into the mouth of Najib’s effigy, as I regarded it as offensive and knew that it would be distorted and manipulated by irresponsible elements to further incite and inflame emotions, even trying to racialise it as an attack by the Chinese against a Malay Prime Minister.
This is of course a great fallacy because Najib is not a Malay Prime Minister but Prime Minister for all Malaysians, but such distinctions would not stop racists and extremists from fomenting racist responses – as is even happening now over the Bersih 4 rally.
At the time, I did not keep my views private but went on public record that I disapproved and deplored such an action.
The worst example of such irresponsible race-baiting are the lies – which are still being spread on social media – accusing me of being the cause of the May 13 , 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur, that I had led anti-Malay processions through the streets of Kuala Lumpur shouting anti-Malay slogans and hurling anti-Malay insults resulting in the May 13 riots when I was not even in Kuala Lumpur at the time. I was in Kota Kinabalu to campaign for independent candidates as polling day in Sabah was scheduled to be held after the voting in Peninsular Malaysia.
In my nearly 50 years in politics, I have never stepped on the photograph of any political leader. Continue reading “Call on all political leaders to set an example as leaders for all Malaysians to deplore all actions which could provoke inter-racial and inter-religious discord and disharmony and to end all politics of race-baiting in country”
