YOURSAY | ‘Our leaders have cynically manipulated perception of Malays to gain or stay in power.’

Move on from racial sentiments and siege mentality, Anwar tells Redzuan

Ranjit Singh Malhi: Well said, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia indeed belongs to all Malaysians. We must think and act as such for the future well-being and prosperity of our beloved nation.

The rakyat will support you in your efforts to uphold meritocracy, the rule of law and empower all needy Malaysians to enhance their economic status.

Be the prime minister that all right-thinking and moderate Malaysians have been praying for and create a truly united and prosperous Bangsa Malaysia.

Anonymous 274871438101585: The gist of Anwar's comments is the most statesman-like that came out of anyone's mouth in a long while, rising to the level of a premier. I salute him for it and hope he keeps up that level of performance.

However, his comments are embedded in a deep contradiction, but not of his making. Hence, my salutation of his statesmanship is made in full awareness that he is constrained by the Constitution.

Article 153 enshrines privileges for the Malays only. Given that fact, how it can be said with a straight face that all Malaysians are equal under the law? They're not. But other races have lived with that reality for a long time and they accept that reality.

What they don't want - stated or unstated - is enlargement of that privileges which he pointed that cannot function and flourish.

In the same vein, equally statesman-like was his comment that Utusan Malaysia deserves to survive and exist, but it is not the government job to bail them out.

As a failed business it must accept its fate otherwise, it encourages every failed enterprise (as in China) to approach the government to beg for help.

The loss of revenue is the function of loss of readership, which is a function of a lack of credibility in the newspaper. Restore its objectivity and its credibility will be revived and subsequently, its readership will grow.

Anonymous_1398599207: Anwar seems changed a bit after his return from Mecca. I hope he will continue to speak up for non-Malays too.

He must understand that non-Malays never think of Malays as the enemy. The was due to Umno and PAS leaders acting as scaremongers.

Mohd Isnin: This is the best statement so far from the Harapan government side. Thank you, Anwar. Everyone should think of what we can achieve as a nation through unity. We cannot support racism and extremism.

It’s time to work on unity as our cornerstone to achieve success. A successful Malaysia would help enhance the quality of life for everyone.

Enough of racial political rhetoric and work on nation-building. The future generation needs to be taken care of.

The Wakandan: A politically correct statement from Anwar. But he is our prime minister-in-waiting and it’s good of him to act presidential.

More importantly, however, is to walk the talk. People are anxious to see that at work considering the radicalism that he espoused in his younger days.

Time will tell but what he said now is soothing to the ears, where we could easily fall into the abyss of racial and religious strife.

JBond: Bolehland must be the only country on earth where the majority is scared of the minority. They need laws after laws to protect them, but from whom? From their own insecurity and inability.

And Umnoputras use this fear to the hilt to get rich.

Anonymous2359: It takes 50 to 100 years to educate a population well and to train them to think rationally, progressively, scientifically, et cetera.

Malaysia has hardly started on this endeavour. Is it any wonder why there are so many inexplicable goons around?

Thinking Aloud: If Malaysia is progressive, everybody gains. So we need progressive leadership to run the country.

For too long, political leaders at the top have cynically manipulated the perception of the Malays to gain or stay in power. This came at the expense of the Malays themselves.

If Anwar is sincere, and if he becomes prime minister, then Malaysia will be blessed. By being forthright, however, Anwar runs the risk of leaders within and outside Harapan sabotaging him. A true leader must accept such risks.

Boon Hor Loy: You still believe these politicians? Please lah! They will say the right things at the right time. Proof to the rakyat that you will walk the talk. We know that talk is cheap.

If you are so sure of yourselves, deport that racist Zakir Naik and you will continue to get our votes in GE15. Otherwise, dream on.

RR: Yes Anwar, Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians. We agree that the New Economic Policy (NEP) was necessary to enable the Malays to catch up economically but there must be a time frame.

In the process, elite Malay politicians abused it by enriching themselves and their cronies at the expense and neglect of poor Malays.

Hence many poor Malays together with non-Malays threw out Umno/BN in GE14. So, please use NEP on a needs-based basis that will benefit poor Malays in particular and other Malaysians in general.

We pray that this and a revamped education system with science and skills development are adopted to build a progressive Malaysia.

David Dass: A clear statement by Anwar. It is a necessary statement to rebut the statements made by Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof and Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

We all agree that each race should not live in compartments and live segregated. All of us want as much interaction as possible. And we have a national language and there are few barriers to social or business interactions. In housing estates, in schools, colleges and universities and at workplaces, there is active engagement.

They could be better government policies and private initiatives to encourage more engagement but we cannot force one’s culture or religious beliefs on another. There are aspects of each other's cultures that we can enjoy and learn from. We can listen to and enjoy each other's music and food.

Frank: For some time now, the flying car minister has dreamt of becoming the country's prime minister one day. Now, he has gone overboard with his comments on this and that.

This is the person who was nowhere to be found when people for years were fighting to bring down the (previous) kleptocratic regime.

And yet on the very night when people were overjoyed for the win against the kleptocracy, people saw on their TV screens this person behaving as if he was a person of importance. It's disgusting when one looks back at what happened.

And these days he is playing the role of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's alter ego. Really? One Mahathir is enough already!

Malaysians need to make sure that this person - no matter what - cannot win in any parliamentary or state seat he is going after in the next general election.

That should teach him and his kind to never play with the rakyat. This is especially true when one has done nothing to behave as if one is worth listening to. Enough is enough!

GalaxyM: Redzuan and Asri should be sacked because they are ignorant or they are deliberately trying to achieve their selfish agenda of gaining popularity at the expense of national unity and racial harmony.

It is undeniably true that the Malays maintain their hegemonic ‘ketuanan’ mentality for decades made possible by their privileged almost 70% racial majority coupled with their overwhelming Muslim status and backed by full royal support.

It is absolutely absurd for these two to shout that their community is under siege. They should be severely condemned for making false alarm.

Non-Malays never even for once projected the under-siege mentality although they should because they belong to the minority and they have been discriminated and unfairly treated and bullied.

These two nauseating men are not alone and the nation can hardly progress and prosper with such opportunists around.

GuaCayaLu: The Flying Car Minister is a loose cannon that we don’t need. We will ensure that at the next election.

As for the Perlis mufti, we didn’t elect him so that’s up to the relevant authority that appointed him.

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