Pusat KOMAS and Ratify ICERD working group is greatly troubled by the statement of analysis the GE-13 is based on ethnic lines. We believe that an election loss or won is caused by a combination of factor, namely on the performance of incumbants, parties as well as promises made. We denounce the statement of Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam for calling it a “Chinese Tsunami”. It is the people’s tsunami.
The current elections showed the true meaning of the people’s power in putting the candidates they feel best in representing them in the parliament and despite of the systemic electoral fraud that happened, the people’s voice was still strong in sending a message. It is wrong the politicians from the current ruling government say that it was the chinese who caused the tsunami as this is not true, as many seats also had winning or losses when the majority was of other communities, to prove the case, the opposition won with a big margin, for example in Gelang Patah and Serdang where the percentage of Malay voters are close to 40%.
With 85% percent of voters coming out to vote in the current elections, the highest in Malaysian history, this election was about the aspiration of people in wanting change and the politics of the nation to shift away from race based politics. We are reaffirmed of this by Zulkifli Nordin and Ibrahim Ali who failed to win in their constituencies as it shows that it does not pay to be a racist and this brand of politics and ideology is rejected by all ethnicities in Malaysia.
The country have long passed the era where race and religion was the main weapon by politicians to get the support of people. People are focusing on bigger issues now which is plaguing the country such as corruption, abuse of power, transparency and many others and demanding answers from the leaders of the country. There is a new shift in national politics that redefines ethnic relations and go beyond it in Malaysia. The government must bear the responsibility to educate, reformulate and change society instead of reinforcing racial stereotype in politics. This must stop.
We strongly condemn these irresponsible statements by leaders and ask them to be more responsible “statesmen” and act in behalf of all Malaysians and not of any particular ethnic group.
In Malaysia today, civil society organizations have been advocating that the Malaysian government ratify the INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (ICERD) The ICERD is a United Nation (UN) human rights convention which commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of equality and unity among all races. The government needs to be a government of all Malaysians not in rhetoric only but play a fully representative role of the nation.
For more information on the Campaign / Convention, visit
https://www.facebook.com/AkuBangsaMysia?ref=hl
Please support the cause to ratify the convention by going to the link
