Dennis Ignatius
~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.
Do non-Malay voters matter?
27FridaySep 2024
[1] At the recent PAS muktamar, PAS leaders called for greater efforts to win non-Malay support. They even took the unprecedented step of opening the party’s membership to non-Malays.[1] It was tacit recognition that PAS needs non-Malay support if it is to have any hope of taking Putrajaya.
[2] Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim himself came to power on the back of non-Malay support. In the last election, he was essentially abandoned by Malay voters who arguably remain unenthusiastic about his leadership.[2] Even now, his parliamentary majority is largely dependent on the 40 DAP parliamentarians who are of course there because of non-Malay support.
[3] The significance of the non-Malay vote can also be gauged from the on-going by-election campaign for the Mahkota state seat where UMNO leaders are frantically trying to convince Chinese voters to come out in force to support their candidate. When UMNO – traditionally hostile to vernacular schools – suddenly starts touting the fact that its candidate attended a Chinese school and speaks Mandarin fluently, you know they are really getting desperate.
[4] What all this ought to tell us is that though non-Malays are a dwindling demographic and their electoral strength has been heavily diluted through extensive gerrymandering and malapportionment, they still play a significant role in the overall electoral process. In many seats, their votes could just be enough to tilt the balance either way. In the Sungai Bakap by-election, for example, a low non-Malay turnout contributed to Pakatan Harapan’s lost to Perikatan Nasional by 4,267 votes.[3] In the Mahkota constituency, Chinese voters comprise 34% of the overall electorate and will play a critical role in determining the outcome.
[5] But here’s the thing: despite their electoral importance, non-Malays are frequently taken for granted. As a group, they are routinely insulted, accused of being unpatriotic, repeatedly denied rights than other citizens enjoy and constantly accused of plotting to seize power or undermine Islam. Astonishingly, an UMNO leader even slammed Chinese voters in the Mahkota constituency as opportunistic and racist even while he was demanding their support.[4]
[6] You can be sure that if UMNO loses in Mahkota, they won’t be pointing fingers at the likes of Akmal or Nur Jazlan – who have caused so much angst by their intemperate remarks – but at Chinese voters.
[7] Prime Minister Anwar too likes to give great speeches about inclusivity, but he rarely walks the talk. In the recently proposed MOU on equal allocation for all MPs, his government even inserted a clause to uphold the “dignity and equality for everyone, regardless of race, religion, language or culture” [5] but of course the reality is very different. When he needed the support of non-Malays, he promised to replace Ketuanan Melayu with Ketuanan Rakyat; now he is as much a champion of Ketuanan Melayu as his predecessors.
[8] From time to time, he throws a few crumbs at the non-Malay community – the latest being more crematoriums for Indians [6] – and expects non-Malays to be eternally grateful. In the meantime, he pushes ahead with his Islamist agenda without any regard for the well-founded fears and concerns of non-Muslims. Non-Muslims who voice their concerns are labelled Islamophobes [7] or accused of stirring controversy.[8]
[9] PAS is even worse. They have called non-Malays everything from being the root of corruption in the country [9] to being unfit to serve in the higher echelons of government.[10] If Hadi Awang has his way, non-Muslims would be reduced to ‘dhimmi’ status – essentially second-class citizens. And yet, he thinks that by offering non-Muslims second-class membership in his jaundiced, narrow-minded, fanatical party, he can win their support. How stupid does he think they are?
[10] DAP, MCA & Gerakan are not much better. When in opposition they roar like lions; once elected however, they facilitate the marginalization of non-Malays. These days, the DAP in particular, is busy instilling fear among non-Muslims about the PAS ‘green wave’ but they keep silent about the far more consequential Islamism coming from Putrajaya.
[11] Even Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing is now warning that if PAS wins, non-Malays might lose their right to wear shorts and miniskirts [11] – as if this is not already happening under the Madani government.
[12] Its time non-Malay voters break free of the mindset that they are but an impotent demographic with little power to influence the direction of our nation, a mere plaything to be manipulated to serve the ambitions of politicians. It’s not about depriving anyone of their rights or undermining the status of Islam or any of those inane narratives that are used to intimidate non-Malays; it’s about sending a clear signal to all politicians and all parties that they cannot insult, marginalize or trample upon the rights of non-Malays and still expect their vote whenever it is demanded.
[Dennis Ignatius |Kuala Lumpur |27 September 2024]
[1] PAS welcomes non-Muslims as associate members after constitution change |The Star |14 Sept 2024
[2] Malaysia’s 15th General Election: Ethnicity Remains the Key Factor in Voter Preferences | MARZUKI MOHAMAD|IBRAHIM SUFFIAN | Fulcrum Singapore |4 April 2023
[3] Sg Bakap polls: Pakatan accepts defeat |The Star | 6 July 2024
[4] ‘Convincing opportunistic Chinese to vote BN easy for DAP’ |Malaysiakini |24 Sept 2024
[5] Wan Agyl Wan Hassan says the allegations by Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin are devoid of proof | FMT | 19 Sept 2024
[6] RM20 million allocated for Hindu crematoriums nationwide |Harapan Daily |25 Sept 2024
[7] Islam in Malaysia at a crossroads, says Anwar |FMT |14 Sept 2024
[8] PM Anwar says Teresa Kok’s halal certification comments have stirred up an unnecessary hornet’s nest |Malay Mail | 08 Sept 2024
[9] Hadi fingers non-Muslims, non-Bumiputeras over corruption |FMT |20 Aug 2022
[10] Hadi: Haram to surrender power to non-Muslims |Malaysiakini | 7 Oct 2019
[11] Vote or hide your shorts, miniskirts, Tiong tells Mahkota’s Chinese | Malaysiakini | 25 Sept 2024
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