Who is multiracial and who is not ?
As you all knew, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) consist of coalition of opposition parties such as PKR, DAP and PAS, while Barisan Nasional (BN) consist of coalition of Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP, etc.
In PR, except for PAS, PKR and DAP had indeed demonstrated well in their leadership line-up and their elected representatives which are clearly multiracial. As for PAS, its a party based on Islamic values and teachings, therefore its membership majority is Malay. However in their party constitution did not state that only Malay can be member of the said party. In Kelantan for example, PAS has a Chinese Muslim representative sitting in the state executive council.
On BN's case, the dominant parties like Umno, MCA, MIC are race-based political parties who only champion the cause of each of their ethnicity. While Gerakan and PPP are said to be multiracial, their ideology is irrelevant as the race-based parties in the BN is still dominant. Gerakan stated that it has been multiracial all these years but it failed to demonstrate its effectiveness in their leadership line-up and elected representatives. Most of the Gerakan's non-Chinese leaders had also left the party after the last general elections. PPP although had made it in the multiracial name, failed to put its cause into action as the party is too weak politically.
Yesterday, the Umno president and prime minister in his speech to the party general assembly said that his party is not racist and it applies to all. Can we ask, what do you mean "it applies to all"? If you and your party is really sincere to make Umno applies for all, then dissolve or change all the race-based parties in the BN and make them multiracial. Umno could take "a lead" by opening their membership to all races and have its party name amended to "United Malaysians National Organisation".
The real problem here is, are they able to be truly sincere to all Malaysians? The other major obstacle is the current government policies undertake by BN for more than 50 years. Can they revamp the entire system of governance to transform it into Malaysian?
In PR, except for PAS, PKR and DAP had indeed demonstrated well in their leadership line-up and their elected representatives which are clearly multiracial. As for PAS, its a party based on Islamic values and teachings, therefore its membership majority is Malay. However in their party constitution did not state that only Malay can be member of the said party. In Kelantan for example, PAS has a Chinese Muslim representative sitting in the state executive council.
On BN's case, the dominant parties like Umno, MCA, MIC are race-based political parties who only champion the cause of each of their ethnicity. While Gerakan and PPP are said to be multiracial, their ideology is irrelevant as the race-based parties in the BN is still dominant. Gerakan stated that it has been multiracial all these years but it failed to demonstrate its effectiveness in their leadership line-up and elected representatives. Most of the Gerakan's non-Chinese leaders had also left the party after the last general elections. PPP although had made it in the multiracial name, failed to put its cause into action as the party is too weak politically.
Yesterday, the Umno president and prime minister in his speech to the party general assembly said that his party is not racist and it applies to all. Can we ask, what do you mean "it applies to all"? If you and your party is really sincere to make Umno applies for all, then dissolve or change all the race-based parties in the BN and make them multiracial. Umno could take "a lead" by opening their membership to all races and have its party name amended to "United Malaysians National Organisation".
The real problem here is, are they able to be truly sincere to all Malaysians? The other major obstacle is the current government policies undertake by BN for more than 50 years. Can they revamp the entire system of governance to transform it into Malaysian?
