Courage Needed To Move Beyond Race Based Politics Dr M Schooled

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It is regrettable that Dr Mahathir Mohamad still insists on being part of the problem instead of the solution for the betterment of the nation, rued PSM.
Referring to his latest remarks, S Arutchelvan schooled the former premier where courage is needed most.
“Courage is not required to ensure ketuanan Melayu. Courage is needed to see issues from a class perspective instead of a racial lens.
“Mahathir needs to have the courage to move beyond race politics to ensure a better and more harmonious society for the future”, he told Malaysiakini.
Furthermore, Arutchelvan said the “ketuanan Melayu” narrative is designed to keep right-wing politicians relevant.
‘Hardly any challenge’
He added that it also served as a distraction from the truth that policies implemented to uplift the socio-economic position of the Malays were abused by the political elites to enrich themselves, their families and cronies.
“There is hardly any challenge on the question of the national language, special position of the Malays and any fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“The only problem is Mahathir and right-wing politicians keep harping on this to create a sense of insecurity among the Malays to remain relevant.
“The prime minister, deputy prime minister, inspector-general of police, armed forces chief, attorney-general and chief justice are Malays.
“The civil service is controlled by the Malays, the police and army are predominantly Malay and the quota system ensures that Malay students are the majority in public universities,” he added.
Prime Minister Anwar IbrahimArutchelvan believes Mahathir’s remarks stemmed from the fear of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim charting a new course for the nation, which could threaten the remnants of his legacy if it gained traction.
“Anwar's ketuanan rakyat and his rhetoric on class politics appear to spook Mahathir and those of his ilk because if it is accepted, it would render them irrelevant,” he added.
More divided than ever
The PSM leader is saddened that after six decades of independence, Malaysians seem to be more divided than ever because of politics centred around race and religion.
“The emergence of more race-based parties and NGOs of all races are to be blamed for ensuring we don't move on. Class-based politics and class-based allocation are the best mechanisms to move on,” he added.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Mahathir took to Twitter to raise the question if the Malays are truly the “tuan” (master) in Malaysia when the race is poor and in the employment of other races.
“If we want to be the master, then we must be the boss. But today, we are not the boss.
“It is possible for us to become a 'tuan'? Yes. It is possible. But much needs to be done. Are we able to do it? Yes, we are able.
“It only requires courage. Are we brave enough? Ask yourself,” he added.
However, the former premier did not state what had prompted his tweets or if they were related to the current political situation. - Mkini

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