Yoursay: PM-in-waiting must walk the talk on race, religion

YOURSAY | ‘Sarawakians will not accept everything Anwar Ibrahim says.’

Sarawakians should reject racist agenda, says Anwar

Sulaiman Bin Che Long: This is the aspiration of New Malaysia. Prime minister-designate Anwar Ibrahim is saying all the right things, like Pakatan Harapan countering negative influences and narrow racial and religious sentiments in facing the 12th Sarawak election.

"We cannot move as a nation if we cannot think beyond our longhouses or race or religious denominations... we can only succeed if we have a sense of justice and compassion which reflects our humanity,” he said.

Anwar is coming into being. Nobody can stop Malaysians wanting him to lead. A leader is a leader.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is passé. Let Mahathir lead the Bersatu, PAS and Umno three-headed Cerberus. He lives in the age of mythology, with monsters and thunder gods. But like myths, he too shall pass.

Kim Quek: It is heartening to see Anwar leading the charge against racism and religious extremism, a role that Mahathir, as head of this reformist coalition, should have played from day one, instead of remaining mum on the issue until now.

The occasion where Anwar made this noble call is of great significance as well – at a Harapan function in the capital of Sarawak, Kuching, in the presence of all the top Harapan leaders.

What Anwar said in Kuching is in fact a continuation of his seminal speech last Friday in Parliament house, urging the speedy transformation of the failed race-based affirmative policy to one that is needs-based, which treat all Malaysians as one big family of equals.

I have always highlighted that one of Harapan’s gravest points of negligence is its failure to initiate and win an ideological war to reverse the great damage done by decades of Umno indoctrination of racist ideology and religious bigotry.

I sincerely hope that this will be the beginning of a sustained campaign to win over the hearts and minds of all Malaysians to the concept of a united Malaysian nation, where equality prevails and people of different races and religions live in harmony and mutual respect.

Clever Voter: If Anwar Ibrahim truly believes what he said on racial and religious sentiments to the Sarawak Harapan, he should walk the talk, starting from his constituency of Port Dickson.

He cannot be preaching double standards, regarding the public as either deaf or dumb. PKR, despite its multiracial outlook, is part of the Harapan coalition that enters the same space as BN on race and religion to a point where one can’t tell the difference.

It is not difficult for Anwar to prove his sincerity, say by openly challenging the coalition’s stand on preacher Zakir Naik and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Talk is cheap. Sarawakians will not be ignorant, and neither will they accept everything Anwar says.

Anonymous_1543386425: Remember what Anwar did when he was education minister and deputy prime minister?

He was brought into Umno from Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) to counter PAS. Hopefully, Anwar now rejects race and religious politics.

He must not be ambiguous and state that he would implement needs-based affirmative action policies immediately when he becomes prime minister.

He should be going around rural Malaysia to prepare Malays for this change while assuring them that their position is assured in the Federal Constitution.

Athena: Anwar, the rabid racism comes from the peninsula, not Sawarak or Sabah. Peninsular Malaysia can learn a thing or two about racial harmony from East Malaysia.

The Wakandan: Multiracial parties like PKR and DAP should be the role models for Malaysian politics, instead of race-based parties like Umno and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), or religious-based ones like PAS.

Malaysia is a multiracial and multi-religious country, and therefore its political parties should reflect as much.

PKR, though not perfect due to the internal politicking among its leaders, on paper should be preferred over Bersatu or Amanah of Harapan. Because of its multi-racial outlook, it would be a strong reference to tick off leaders should they tend to promote a racist agenda.

Building a New Malaysia takes more than one election cycle

ChuenTick: DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, I believe most of us calling out Harapan for its broken promises are not that demanding.

We know there are aspects of governance that will take more than one election cycle to achieve, as you say. But there are things that should be done that have not been done yet.

The GST was abolished, but the cost of living keeps increasing with the SST. By all accounts, the GST was a better tax regime, and lest it be forgotten, over 100 countries in the world have adopted it.

The repeal of the Sedition Act 1948, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015, and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 has still not been done. This could have been done if there was the political will to do so.

The controversy over the matriculation places points to the fact Harapan is holding fast to the race card.

So, yes, I am interested to hear your frankness – tell us what promises can't be kept. Surely it is not a change to a more just, civil and democratic Malaysia?

Steven Ong: The hope of a developed peaceful Malaysia lies in Malaysians and nothing more.

The idealism was from DAP, which is far ahead from the other parties hooked on racism or religious rituals. But hope seems to be fading away when DAP is slowly being sucked into the racist cyclone.

Caipasal: No New Malaysia under the old fox. New Malaysia will not become a reality in many election cycles to come if the racial policies ae not replaced by needs-based policies.

Making promises is easy and free. Mahathir has no intention to abolish his racial privileges. He is only concerned about his own race, to the extent that PAS is willing to support him for a full term. Has Mahathir ever talked about need-based policies?

Specialist Batsman: Lim, I think Malaysians are gradually getting tired of your political rhetoric.

Now that your party is part of the federal government, please tell us, in particular all Sarawakians, if the Harapan government needs more than one general election to fulfil the Bintulu Declaration made by your party in 2014 to return 20 percent oil royalties to the state.

Lim, please also tell us how many general elections the Harapan government is asking for in order to implement a system based on merit, rather than race, in major public institutions if we want to raise our level of competitiveness and progress to become a high-income nation.

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