Race tiff tempest
o Ronnie Liu’s remark raises ire in DAP but for analysts, it is what it is
PETALING JAYA: A remark about DAP by its central committee member Ronnie Liu has kicked up quite a storm within the party. He drew heavy criticism from party colleagues, including secretarygeneral Lim Guan Eng.
But one political commentator said such sentiments had already beset the party since the 1970s, and another pointed out that while DAP is among several multi-racial parties, it is essentially dominated by just one race.
Lim described Liu as a “dinosaur” and likened his words to “dog whistling” just to gain votes for the upcoming party elections. DAP is due to hold its national elections in June.
Last Sunday, Liu had said the party should not sacrifice or dilute its Chinese identity just to fend off political rivals. He was speaking at an event in Klang to launch a book by veteran DAP member Liew Ah Kim.
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said Liu’s comments were “narrow-minded and toxic” while Damansara MP Tony Pua accused him of being chauvinistic.
However, Liu said the two MPs had misinterpreted what he said.
Lim stressed that the remarks by Liu, who is Sungai Pelek assemblyman, do not represent the sentiments of the party.
“Liu is using this extremist ideology to change the soul of the party.”
He pointed out that the party has always been multi-racial and therefore, its priority is not to accentuate ethnicity.
“By his statement, Liu is implying that he is ‘Chinese first and then Malaysian’. Such thinking must be rejected outright,” Lim added.
On Liu’s claim that his speech had been misinterpreted, Lim said it was Liu who had “misrepresented” what the party stood for.
“We have checked the translation of his speech shared on a news portal,” Lim said.
University of Tasmania professor of Asian Studies, James Chin, said since the 1970s, young professionals in DAP had already tried to position the party as being more inclusive while veteran members were “more oriented towards being Chinese
first and Malaysian after”.
PUTRAJAYA: For Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his dream to criminalise war is yet to be realised but he is now too preoccupied to continue with his original goal of making wars of aggression a crime against humanity.
“When I was the prime minister for the second time, I worked 18 hours a day, even now I have too many things on my mind, as a leader in a new party.
“I think war is primitive … you want to settle a problem, you kill a person, how can you do that?” he told Bernama during a 30-minute meet-up session with the current Miss Earth Malaysia 2020/21 Dr Nisha Thayananthan at his office in Putrajaya on Tuesday.
The former premier, who had served twice as prime minister - first as the leader of then-ruling coalition Barisan Nasional for 22 years and next as chairman of Pakatan Harapan for 22 months, said the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War initiated by him is still there but no one is active.
Mahathir too could not continue with the goal as he himself is preoccupied in many other organisations, including his political party Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.
Asked if the goal will be achieved if he returns to power for the third time, the nonagenarian stressed he has no desire to return for a third stint and that he is more interested to advise people on certain matters. - Bernama