Najib’s ‘reasonable’ statement

By Dr Ong Kian Ming

At first glance, it seems like a perfectly reasonable thing for Najib to say. After all, if the Chinese voters do not vote in a sufficient number of Chinese MCA and Gerakan leaders, there would not be many qualified Chinese BN MPs to appoint into the Cabinet.

A statement of fact, some MCA leaders tweeted. Why then should Chinese voters (or voters of other races, for that matter) be agitated by this? Why are some opposition parties, notably the DAP, calling this seemingly reasonable statement of fact a threat to the Chinese community?

I’ve mentioned to many of my friends in private that Najib is probably the most suitable leader to lead the country at this point in time. For all the flak which his 1 Malaysia slogan has received, I think that its sufficiently vague underpinnings have actually captured the imagination of a fair share of the Malaysian public including the younger generation.

It is within this context that I find Najib’s supposedly reasonable statement not so reasonable after all, and coupled with his recent move to once again “reach out” to PAS, strongly incongruous with the “spirit” behind the 1 Malaysia concept. These are troubling moves in that they reveal the unchanged underlying thinking of a governing administration and polity that is unwilling and perhaps incapable to break out of a racial mode of thinking.

Najib assumes, firstly, that the primary reason why Chinese voters cast their vote in favour of Chinese MCA or Gerakan or SUPP or LDP candidates is for their Chinese interests to be represented. Hence, if they do not support these candidates, it must mean that they do not want their Chinese interests to be represented in government.

But this ignores the myriad of many other reasons as to why Chinese voters did not vote for the BN Chinese candidates including: casting a vote against Umno rather than against the other BN component parties, casting a vote against corruption and ineffectual leadership that has not adequately represented Malaysian not just Chinese interests per se, casting a vote for a more equal and more transparent government rather than merely paying lip service to these treasured principles and values.

To say that Chinese voters are supporting the BN, and specially Chinese BN candidates, purely on the basis of “race” interests is to insult the intelligence and motives of Chinese voters. The fact that in 2008, many Chinese voters choose to support PAS and PKR Malay candidates over Umno candidates in seats where they form a significant minority (Kulim Bandar Baharu, Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, just to name a few) should be sufficient proof of this.

Najib also wrongly assumes that it was only Chinese voters who voted against the BN in 2008 and in the recently concluded Sarawak state election. In fact, many Indian and Malay voters played instrumental roles in voting out Chinese BN candidates in ethnically heterogeneous seats such as Bayan Baru, Padang Serai, Beruas, Teluk Intan, Klang, Selayang, Serdang, Segambut, Seremban, and Rasah, just to name a few, in the 2008 general election.

The Dayak support for the opposition was also significant in some of the seats won by the DAP in Sarawak. If for some reason Najib is successful in regaining back some of the Chinese support but the MCA and Gerakan and SUPP Chinese candidates still lose in these ethnically heterogeneous seats because the Indian and Malay and Dayak support in these seats does not return to the BN, will Najib still carry out his threat?

Najib makes a further mistake by assuming that these MCA and Gerakan and SUPP Chinese leaders are elected into office for the main purpose of representing Chinese interests and also that Chinese interests can only be represented by the MCA and Gerakan Chinese leaders.

Does this imply that current MCA and Gerakan and SUPP Chinese MPs in ethnically heterogeneous seats such as Alor Star, Lumut, Raub, Bentong, Pandan, Alor Gajah, Ayer Hitam and Miri, just to name a few, should focus their attention largely on the Chinese voters in their areas and presumably leave the constituency-servicing responsibilities among the Indian and Malay and Dayak communities to the MIC and Umno and PRS and SPDP division leaders and members?

Does this imply that the Umno MPs who have a significant number of Chinese voters in their constituencies (Bukit Katil, Batu Pahat, Sembrong, just to name a few) cannot represent the interest of these constituents? In other words, does interest representation have to be purely descriptive i.e. only ethnic leaders can represent the interest that ethnic group? Very 1 Malaysia indeed.

Instead of taking Chua Soi Lek’s bait (since it was Chua who started this whole debate by threatening an MCA Cabinet pullout if the party were to repeat its 2008 performance), Najib could have taken the high road by walking and talking the 1 Malaysia message rather than to using it only when convenient. He could have said something like the following in response:

“We understand that the Chinese and in fact the Indian and Malay voters did not vote for the BN in 2008 for a variety of reasons. We have worked hard and will continue to work hard to address those underlying reasons many of which have to do with how the country was being run for ALL Malaysians, not just for members of one particular community. The NEM, the GTP and the ETP are examples of the government’s sincerity in improving Malaysia for all Malaysians.

“We are also cognizant that there was also a Dayak swing against the BN in Sarawak and that it was not a purely Chinese swing against the BN. We also have to find out the underlying reasons and proceed to address them.

“While I respect Chua Soi Lek and MCA’s autonomy, I strongly urge them to continue to participate in meaningful ways in the governing of this country in the unlikely event of a repeat performance of 2008. Even if the MCA makes the decision not to accept any Cabinet positions, I can assure the Chinese community that I will continue to govern the country for all Malaysians, consistent with my 1 Malaysia philosophy. I will also ensure that the MPs from other component parties, especially those with a significant number of Chinese voters, will step up to the plate to ensure that the specific needs of the community, including issues to do with schools and education as well as places of worship, among others, will be taken care of. I will not waver from the 1 Malaysia ethos and I hope that the Chinese voters can see that I am sincere in my commitment to steadfastly hold on to this governing principle.”

Najib could have used this opportunity by giving us (and by us, I mean ALL Malaysians, and not just the Chinese community) the assurance that his 1 Malaysia message is for real rather than an empty slogan. Instead, we are left to ponder the troubling implications of Najib’s seemingly “reasonable” statement.