Real prospects of BN

Extracted from Off The Edge magazine: April, 2007

Presently, we usually talk about unity on the surface level, as eyewash, to keep people quiet. In short, I don’t think any of them (BN leaders) are sincere when they talk about unity and multiracialism. So since I became President (of the People’s Progressive Party, or PPP) in 1993, I’ve been taking the opportunity to speak in political forums about it, [such as] at the PPP’s annual general meeting.

I am very convince, very, very convinced that we need to turn into a multiracial society. We must, we should. The question is whether it is possible. I think we can keep asking questions, but it must happen in order for Malaysia’s survival and to be a successful country.

Now, we have a brand – it seems to be, to visit Malaysia is to visit Asia. The whole of Asia is in Malaysia; if you visit, we are there. And if we are not a multiracial society, if we are still segregated into this race-based thing, then we are bluffing the whole world.

So let’s get real; let’s put our brand into practice. We can’t portray one brand [to the rest of the world] and here, be something else. The real problem is, there is no sincerity, especially among politicians. Outside of their party, they talk about multiracialism. But when they hold their [general assemblies], they continue shouting ‘Hidup Melayu’, ‘Hidup Cina’, Hidup India’. At these [political gatherings], they feel like they are in their own cave or in their own castle, and they talk only about their tribe, their clan, to promote themselves. But they don’t realize they’re just a small castle in the whole country.

The BN is a loose coalition; we say we are of all races, we give opportunities to everybody. But when it comes to policy decisions and many other things, you go back into your own cocoon; you only talk about your own religion and your own race. And you forgot about Malaysia. Right ? I go to London and I am Malaysian; I go to China and I’m Malaysian; I go to India and I’m Malaysian; I go all over the world, I’m Malaysian. But why is it when I come back to Malaysia. I am an Indian? That’s still the general feeling.

We must shed this shelf-image. We have no choice. If Malaysia is not going to become a truly multiracial country, we cannot use the phrase ‘Malaysia, truly Asia’, and neither can we succeed in the future because the more everybody talks just about their own race, we can never be a united cause.

If BN doesn’t become one party, it will be a failure in the future. It is the beginning to be a failure.

But for PPP, there is an opportunity. Of course, the trend seems to be that if you’re an Indian leader, okay, the Indians will fall behind you; if you’re a Chinese leader, Chinese behind you; Malay leader, Malays behind you. We must look for good leaders.

But who’s a good leader who can head all of us? It doesn’t matter if it is Chinese, Indian or Malay. We need a leader who can lead this country into the future. And I think we should consider the statements made by [HRH] Raja Nazrin (the Regent of Perak) in an interview in 2006. He said, ‘We need mature and responsible leaders and role models who are serious about bridging the divide of race and religion.’ Fantastic! We need a million leaders who can think like him, speak like him. Then we can progress.

Now is the right time ……