PM Najib was making a shocking statement at the Chinese community

By Dr Kelvin Yii

I am appalled and shocked by a recent statement by Prime Minister Najib Razak at the Malaysian Chinese Patriotic Rally at Putra World Trade Centre claiming that the Chinese community would be targeted should Malaysia ever descend into chaos.

Dr Kelvin Yii

It is shocking that on Malaysia Day, a day where we celebrated the formation of our country and the union of multicultural and multinational society, the prime minister  deemed it fit to issue such a threat towards a whole community to instil fear into the hearts of the people while harping on racial sentiments.

Is the prime minister of a multiracial, multicultural country issuing threats to the safety of a whole community just to stay in power?

Why is he purposefully singling out a whole community and worst pitting the different race against one another when he as the leader of the nation should be encouraging unity and togetherness.

Is he also hinting that there will not be smooth transition of power in the event of a change of government?

This clearly shows an act of desperation by the prime minister and the BN government. Knowing that he has lost some of the Malay votes, is he now trying to instil fear into the Chinese community to get their votes?

In any case, a change of government is part of a democratic process in a democratic society and should not be frown or used as a threat towards any community. If it is seen as a scary proposition, it speaks volume of the state of affairs after 50 over years of UMNO-BN rule.

This is not the first time such threats were made and the Barisan Nasional government has consistently used such racial and fear tactics to curb dissent as well as to limit the democratic space in our country.

I thus question SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian who was there personally at the rally on SUPP's stand after hearing such a threat by the Prime Minister.

SUPP who recently have been making calls for Chinese unity but will they continue to stay silent and stay idle when their political master UMNO make such threats to the Chinese community?

This also is not the first time such a threat is being issued by UMNO-BN. In all those situations, SUPP and other BN Sarawak parties have not just kept silent, but also continuously supported and empower such ruling government to remain in power.

I thus urge for an end of racial politics as well as fear tactics being against one another to try to pit all the different races against one another. No such threat should ever be issued by a Prime Minister where to the Malay community, Chinese, Dayak or Indian community.

We are born in this country and thus share the same identity even through our diversity.

On this Malaysia Day, let us not be threatened by our differences, but celebrate our diversity and together we need to vote out UMNO-BN to save Malaysia and reject the politics to hate, fear and discrimination.

Note: Dr Kelvin Yii is a special assistant to Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen