YOURSAY | Expect more racist slurs in GE15 campaign

YOURSAY | 'Name-calling shows how uneducated and shallow these people are.'

DAP's Ayer Hitam candidate responds to purported racial slurs

Vijay47: In almost every election, there will always be that lunatic fringe, on both sides, who will harp on and use racial insults against opponents, though I would want to believe this is less so by the Pakatan Harapan side.

Such attacks reflect their mentality and that they are incapable of raising more serious and relevant issues.

The answer to this kind of abuse is very clear – just ignore it. To respond to them would be to elevate them, that they represent some profound truth that needs to be objected to.

To take on MCA president Wee Ka Siong or, for that matter, any MCA or MIC candidate, the battlegrounds are well demarcated and, paradoxically, do carry a tinge of the race, although not against the person but his party.

What have MCA and MIC done in the face of the injustice and discrimination heaped by their masters on the community they purportedly protect?

Far from taking BN's top guns to task, we see spineless characters like Wee and MIC president SA Vigneswaran bending backwards to defend their actions.

Needless to say, the campaign had to be conducted on higher ground and against the entire Umno, PAS and their allies.

Just focusing on corruption would provide enough fodder to erode their seemingly impenetrable fortress, not that it is all that indestructible right now. We will know soon enough, on Nov 19.

David Dass: Have we come to this? BN is supposed to represent all races. We have lived together for hundreds of years. For generations. And yet, there is this derision expressed by some fellow Malaysians.

To what extent have these feelings - this hatred for each other - been legitimised by our politics of race and religion?

Are there statesmen among us who will put an end to this? Are there visionaries among our people who will lead us out of this negative view of ourselves into a better world?

Drngsc: Well done, Harapan candidate for Ayer Hitam, Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali. Show them your mettle.

We are all (or we all should be) Malaysian ‘dogs’, slogging for a better Malaysia. Name-calling shows how uneducated and shallow these people are.

Carry on, Sheikh Umar, I do hope that you win to serve the people of Ayer Hitam, and show what Malaysia is all about.

Steven Ong: Racism, bigotry and discrimination are condoned by many leaders in Malaysia. Some are vocal, some are silent and many pretend they are not racists. Hypocrisy is accepted.

This characteristic in many won't go away soon, so long as the system that created this evil remain in place.

Undecided: Malaysia needs more "Sheikh Umars". Such an intelligent and appropriate response to those racist hooligans from Umno/BN.

How will candidates competing for Umno/MCA and other multiracial parties react to such shameful racial antics?

Are they prepared to support Sheikh Umar's call to put a stop to such racial slurs during the 15th general election campaign?

KickOutBN_PN: Sheikh Umar, you are right. Harapan candidates never use 3Rs (religion, race and royalty) to win elections, unlike the corrupt, abusive and dictatorial Umno as well as the racist and religious extremist PAS.

It is high time Johorean voters kick out MCA once and for all.

PiMaiPiMaiTangTu: We, Malaysians, have lost our common moral compass. We glorify racism for the benefit of politicians. We are stupid.

All humans are made of flesh and blood. We are fighting the Chinese, Indians and Malays among us, yet we are not talking about how to compete with the billions of non-Malaysians in the international market.

We are stupid. We condone corruption by choosing a person based on the colour of their skin.

GrayCat7773: A mature and responsible citizen will not utter such a slur unless he or she is still living in the pre-war era.

Their reaction just manifested how low their morals are and they deserved to go back to kindergarten. The world is watching and it is time to bury Umno/BN.

GreenWolf2141: Don’t be angry or sad over this type of people, saudara Sheikh Umar. There are always these types of characters in any society. Stay focused on your mission.

As PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said, “Apa niat anda berjuang?” (What is your intention to fight?).

If your intentions are sincere and it’s to make the lives of people better, don’t worry - the Almighty will reward you even if you lose.

Anonymous 5035: We don't need to be frustrated with these racists and their taunts. Come Nov 19, let us show this unelected government and its bedfellows the door.

Let us all come out to vote and make a difference. Reclaim our country and send the traitors packing. Let's make Malaysia harmonious again.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.