Malaysia GE13: ‘Racial confrontation’ if Lim Kit Siang wins Johor seat, says Mahathir

(Straits Times) – Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has claimed that there will be conflict between races if opposition veteran Lim Kit Siang wins a seat in Johor.

 

Writing on his blog (chedet.cc) on Thursday, Dr Mahathir said Johor has been a stronghold for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition since independence, and people there “do not have strong racist feelings”.

“But Kit Siang is going to bring about conflict and antagonism between the races, to wage the Chinese to dislike and hate the Malays,” he wrote.

He added: “An unhealthy racial confrontation would replace Sino-Malay cooperation which has made Malaysia stable and prosperous.”

Mr Lim announced last month that he would move from his longtime seat in Perak to contest in Johor’s Gelang Patah seat.

Fast-developing Gelang Patah is at the heart of Iskandar Malaysia and houses Johor’s administrative capital, Nusajaya. More than half of the voters are Chinese.

Dr Mahathir, who has emerged one of BN’s chief campaigners, urged voters over the weekend to make the seat a “burial ground” for Mr Lim’s politics.