UMNO and PAS 'Muzakarah'/ 巫统与回教党密商

There’s a lot of talk and speculation about top UMNO leaders meeting PAS leaders on Malay and Muslim unity. Leaders from both political divide can meet from time to time so that there is a better understanding of each other’s position. As a non-Malay and non-Muslim, I am more concerned about how the outcome of such engagement has on the rest of the rakyat who are non Muslim and non Malay and in fact, we have the right to know. The Prime Minister for that matter and PAS national leaders must remember that as national leaders, they must be leaders for all irrespective of race and religion.

I’ve always said that it is difficult in the political arena in Malaysia to work without considering race and religion although there are leaders who claim to be multiracial. As long as Islam is the official religion, Malays enjoy special rights as enshrined in constitution and the Chief of state except Penang must be a Muslim as stipulated in the state constitution, it is difficult for any political party be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat to move away from ethnic-based politics. Of course it is popular to be multiracial while on stage but the political reality is otherwise.

Ideally, in the long term, politics should be issue-centered rather than ethno-centric. This will take some time to develop. Although a lot of people may not agree with me, but I’m just stating the political reality in Malaysia that while we slowly move towards issue-centered politics, race and religion will always be the major consideration either from Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. The only difference is that some politicians are good at packaging themselves as very multiracial outlook while others are not so good in doing so.

一直盛传巫统高层领袖和回教党领袖秘密会面，商谈马来人和回教徒的团结。其实两个联盟的领袖可不时会面，以便更了解各自的立场。身为一位非马来人和非回教徒，我比较关注的是这个会面所带给非回教徒和非马来社会的影响。其实，我们有权知道。首相和回教党中央领袖必须牢记，身为国家领导人物，不管人民是来自那一个种族或宗教，他们是全民的领袖。

我常说，虽然有些领袖自称属于多元种族领袖，但在马来西亚政局行事时是很难於不顾虑到种族和宗教因素。只要回教是我国的官方宗教，马来人在宪法里享有特权，以及除了槟州之外，州首长都必须是马来人，那就很难有任何政党可远离以种族为基的政治。当然，在台上以多元化标榜立场较受欢迎及普遍，但政治现实却不是如此。

当然，长期来说，最理想的政治是以课题为中心点，而非着重于种族性质。这需要时间去发展。当我们慢步朝向以课题为基的政治时，民盟或国阵还是优先顾虑种族及宗教因素。虽然很多人不赞同我的看法，但我要指出的是马来西亚政治现实的一面。不同之处，只是有些政治人物很会把自己包装成多元化，而有些在这方面却做得不那么好。