Why is it that the political parties in Malaysia are race-based? - Tun M

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his latest entry in the ‘Chedet’ blog entitled ' Race-based parties' begins with a question on, "Why is it that the political parties in Malaysia are race-based?", adding that, the political parties in Malaysia are race-based as Malaysians insist on retaining their identifications with their countries of origin.

"This is not so in other multiracial countries. The migrants from other countries, upon accepting citizenship adopt the language, culture and loyalties to their adopted countries completely. They get fully assimilated after one or two generations", he added, in his latest entry today.

Dr Mahathir also mentioned that, "in Malaysia, the migrants, despite being citizens insist not only on being recognised as of different origins from the indigenous people but are physically separated through their economic functions and their political affiliations".

In the ‘chedet’ blog entry under the title ‘Race-based parties’, Dr Mahathir said that the Pejuang party is a race-based Malay party, as "it has to be because it expects to contest against UMNO, a Malay party. And it expects to do this in the rural areas where the population is largely Malay".

He added that, "These people would not support a multiracial party. In the absence of any other Malay party, the rural people will vote for UMNO. Besides UMNO is rich and rural Malays are poor. Money means a lot to them. Pejuang is the alternative".

Dr Mahathir said that, "There are issues but race and money are more important".

According to him, Pejuang 'depends on race and its anti-corruption campaign'.

He also said that, "As long as we retain our identification with our countries of origin, politics and political parties in Malaysia will remain racial".