Race-based policies a fact, says Khalid

(Sun Daily) – Former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s opinion that Malaysia’s race-based policies would not change even under Pakatan Rakyat rule may ruffle the feathers of some in the coalition, but not the one heading the government of Selangor.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim agreed with Lee, who had written thus in his new book, One Man’s View of the World.

“He is telling the truth, because if 60% of the population of the country are Malays, the political inclination will be trying to get the support of the Malays,” he said at the Selangor government’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house on Thursday that attracted 20,000 guests.

However, Khalid added that how such policies are translated to equity is a different matter.

“I’m quite sure that if you study the Anglo-Saxon politics in US and UK, there is a certain level of tinkering. There is not going to be a totally, absolutely non-discriminatory and egalitarian society,” he said.

Khalid nevertheless disagreed with Lee that BN’s win of Chinese and Indian backing would be at the expense of Malay votes.

“If it were true, there would be no situation where a nation of multi-racial composition can be together. You cannot look at Malaysia as a heterogeneous country isolated by activities,” he said, citing how open houses during religious festivities are often celebrated together happily by all regardless of ethnicity.

He also addressed another controversial point in a soon-to-be launched book about former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, titled Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia – on the obstacles to economic reform, because of Umno and the Malays’ fixation on 30% bumiputra equity.

“The introduction of the private sector did not solve the issues in the allocation of active ownership among the bumiputra. (It) has increased the renter class, not owner-operators. The private sector only releases licences, not jobs,” he said.