LETTER TO THE EDITOR
RACIST STATEMENTS COWARDLY, IRRESPONSIBLE, AND UNPROFESSIONAL
Nary a month goes by in Malaysia without a politician making
a racially-charged statement and then attempting to defend or justify it. More
exasperating still is how these politicians manage to get away with impunity,
and how the Prime Minister and party leaders ignore or downplay the incidents.
Anyone can tell that Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Mohd
Nor’s crass and unfunny remarks that MIC Deputy President M Saravanan and DAP’s
Deputy Penang Chief Minister II P Ramasamy are “drunk on the toddy of
popularity” and “acting drunk on three bottles after consuming only one” were
intended to stoke racial hatred, because they are unrelated to the issue at
hand. If the MB had no intention of being racist, then the analogy of being
drunk on toddy would never have been used. He knew very well that the insult
would not have the same effect on people of other ethnicities. His insult was
illogical and irrelevant to the issue at hand, which is as follows: Why was the
Hindu temple demolished when the Kedah MB had previously given his express
assurance to the Unity Minister and MIC leaders that all relevant parties would
be consulted and notified before the destruction of any houses of worship? MIC’s,
DAP’s, and the local Hindu communities’ assertions were that the demolition was
unfair and not done according to due process, and not that they, the MIC and
DAP representatives, were popular, teetotallers, or sober, so why was it
necessary to invoke the topic of alcohol consumption and toddy?
A leader of calibre would be able to respond to the questions
raised, demonstrate knowledge and fairness, and defend his or her decision
without having to resort to personal or racial attacks and irrelevant insults.
Making a racist statement is a distraction tactic. The MB knew that it would
outrage his critics who are of Indian ethnicity, and at the same time it would
win him support from certain segments of society who would then see him as a
‘defender of the race and faith.’ However, one cannot defend one’s race and
faith by insulting other races and faiths. One can only uplift one’s race,
faith, and society through good deeds and by conducting oneself with integrity
and competence.
In any civilised society and in the eyes of any person with a
sense of fairness and integrity, acts such as corruption, abuse of power, and
violations of the human rights of minorities are far bigger crimes and sins
than the consumption of alcohol. One is not by default a morally upright person
merely because one does not consume alcohol. Not all non-Muslims consume
alcohol, not all who consume alcohol become intoxicated, and not all who become
intoxicated cause harm to others. Consuming alcohol in a social or celebratory
setting is a harmless activity in many cultures around the world. To assume
that someone who is not of the same race or faith as you is somehow morally
inferior to you is a sign of ignorance and immaturity.
In his address to the nation in March this year, Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin vowed to be a “Prime Minister for all Malaysians”. Yet his
silence and inaction on the recent statements of the Kedah MB as well as
previous incidents, for example, that of Baling MP Abdul Azeez against Batu
Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto, show that he has no plans to follow up on his vow.
Each time a politician makes an insulting statement of a
racial or religious nature, there will be a short-lived outcry from the public
and politicians from other parties. We will then remind the perpetrator that
there are over 40 different ethnic groups in Malaysia, that we are a
multiracial and multifaith society, that non-Malays also played a role in
securing the Independence of the then Malaya from Britain, that non-Malays also
play a significant role in nation-building, pay a disproportionately large
percentage of taxes, and serve in the civil service and security forces. To dismiss
and disrespect the needs and wishes of such a significant percentage of the
population is arrogant, dangerous, unfair, and irresponsible. But the cycle of
racist verbal abuse resumes each time accountability is demanded of particular
politicians. MP Kasthuri Patto was insulted when she asked about the lack of female
representation in the Parliamentary Select Committee. M Saravanan and Dr P
Ramasamy were insulted when they queried the Kedah MB on the demolition of the
temple. Any rational voter can see that these politicians resorted to racially-charged
insults when they are not able to show accountability and respond to their political
opponents’ queries. The only reason these racist statements were made was to
make the persons at the receiving end feel disrespected and unwelcome. The PM
and party leaders need to end their silence and complicity in this culture of systemic
racism and the use of racist language and hate speech to harass ethnic minorities
and political opponents, not merely because politicians and citizens from minority
groups deserve better, but because you need to prove to everyone – both those
from majority groups and those from minority groups – that you are capable of
decency and fair play.
WONG EE LYNN
PETALING JAYA
