Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM), a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and non-partisan organisation representing 25 NGOs is greatly concerned with the characterisation of the Pakatan Rakyat’s gains in the recent elections as a “Chinese tsunami” by the Prime Minister YB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak.
It has since been echoed by the Utusan Malaysia and various facebook entries. The Utusan Malaysia, 7 May 2013, carried the headline, “Apa lagi Cina Mau?” (What else do the Chinese want?). This and other similar entries would undoubtedly instigate hostility of the Malay community against the Chinese.
Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak defence of Utusan Malaysia’s racial innuendos is most unbecoming.
The election outcome shows a BN winning only 47.38% of the popular votes. This poor showing cannot be entirely due to the Chinese voters alone.
Notwithstanding gains in Kedah, UMNO’s support base has been eroded substantially in Johor, Melaka and Pahang, where two outgoing Menteri Besar/Chief Minister and two deputy ministers were deposed. Similarly, there was a strong Kadazandusun swing against the BN, resulting in the opposition’s seat gains increase from 1 to 12 in the state legislative assembly. If there was indeed a Chinese tsunami, how could Chua Jui Meng the PKR candidate for Segamat, a Chinese majority constituency, be defeated by a Barisan candidate of Indian origin?
The majority of the voting population of this country had rejected the Barisan Nasional and the leadership of Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak last Sunday on polling day. He failed to achieve the two-thirds majority in Parliament. The results of the general election clearly indicated the absence of any tsunami unleashed by any particular ethnic group. If what the Malaysian electorate did on last Sunday at the polling stations could be described as a tsunami, then it was truly a “Malaysian tsunami”. Alternatively, considering the fact that BN lost all state capitals except Kangar and Johor Bahru, one may conclude that this was an “urban tsunami” where BN was protected only by the digital gap in the rural areas.
In a proportional representation system instead of the first-past-the-post, Malaysia would have had somebody else sworn in as prime minister instead of Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib.
It is a matter of great concern to all of us in GBM and the people at large that after 56 years of independence and the contributions by each and every one of us to make Malaysia a magnificent country for all irrespective of ethnicity, religion, culture, language, class and gender, we have leaders from UMNO who still repeat the same old ethnic or racial themes.
We in GBM are unanimous in our considered opinion that such racist remarks by Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib, as leader of UMNO and Prime Minister, is inappropriate of him as leader of the country.
We urge the Prime Minister to be a model for all the citizens of the country and refrain from uttering racist remarks to cover up the failures of BN’s political governance that is ailing these great nations of ours. His racist post-election sentiment is undoing whatever credit his “One Malaysia” concept may have accrued.
Issued by Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) which comprises of the following 25 civil society organisation members:
1) The Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
2) Aliran
3) Tamil Foundation
4) Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM)
5) Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Krisitian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao (MPMA-BKHST)
6) Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall (NSCAH)
7) Penang Chinese Town Hall (PGCTH)
8) The Federation of Chinese Associations Johore State (FCAJ)
9) Lim Lian Geok Cultural Development Centre (LLG)
10) United Chinese School Alumni Association of Malaysia (UCSAAM)
11) Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
12) Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
13) Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS)
14) Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
15) Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (Permas)
16) National Indian Rights Action Team (NIAT)
17) People’s Green Coalition (PGC)
18) Anak Muda Sarawak (AMS)
19) All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
20) Partners in Community Organising (Pacos Trust)
21) Persatuan Bekas Siswazah Universiti dan Kolej di China, Malaysia (Liu-Hua)
22) Nanyang University Alumni Malaya (Nanda)
23) Japan Graduates Association, Malaysia (JAGAM)
24) Gabungan Persatuan Alumni Universiti Taiwan Malaysia (GPAUTM)
25) Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)