AUGUST 30 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu was born to both fanfare and criticism. Some applaud it for galvanising and mounting a challenge to the government, while others attack it for its racist internal-party-policies, namely that non-bumi members are not allowed to contest or vote within the party itself.

Regardless, this article seeks to go further than the surface criticism and investigate Parti Pribumi Bersatu’s true strategy.

What Parti Pribumi Bersatu is trying to do is capitalising on the fears of the Malays; the fear that they will be displaced from their country. This is a smart political move, by all accounts. It is a clone of Umno, perhaps a more modern and progressive one, but one who wears the racialised, bumi-first skin of Umno all the same. Therefore, Malays who fear their rights will be taken away if they don’t vote for Umno now have an alternative party they can vote for, in confidence that their rights will be placed first above all else.

Now, my criticism of Parti Pribumi Bersatu is not that it’s simply racist. It’s simply doing what political parties do: getting votes. What is wrong with Parti Pribumi Bersatu is that it is further entrenching the belief that ‘Malay Rights’ are under threat.

Why are Malays (especially those in non-urban areas) so insecure of their place in a country where Malays make up the majority of the population and hold the majority of the highest positions in government and civil services? Why are Malays so insecure after almost 60 years of protection and support from the government?

Responses to these questions will be that many Malays are still poor, and so Malays still need government support. However, the fact is that poverty in Malaysia knows no race. There are just as many (in proportion) Malays living below the poverty and median income line as there are Chinese and Indians.  It is better for Malaysia as a whole if the government equalises its support across all ethnic groups.

And so Malays should come to recognise that poverty affects all, but they don’t. They still feel as if they are threatened, and if they do not vote for a Bumi-first party, they will lose Malaysia. 

For the most part, Malays are afraid because they think they should be afraid; they’re being told to be afraid. Umno is playing that fear card, stoking that fear. PAS is playing that fear card, stoking that fear. And now, Parti Pribumi Bersatu is also playing that fear card, taking political advantage of that fear.

Pandering to this fear results in Malays believing that they need a bumi-first party to protect them — when what they really need is a pro-poor, anti-corruption and ethnically/religiously neutral party.

Malays need a neutral party because the protection of one racial group above others will mean that poverty will never be solved, and corruption will continue to plague our government. Malays don’t need a Bumi-First party anymore, but Umno, PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu are telling them they need it.

Furthermore, by barring other races from voting and contesting in its internal elections, Parti Pribumi Bersatu effectively ensures that the different opinions are unheard. This will eventually result in narrow-minded group-think and this will destroy the ‘equality’ platform Parti Pribumi Bersatu leaders are pedalling.

As well-meaning and as intelligent as Parti Pribumi Bersatu leaders are, without dialogue within the party, its policies will surely fall short of equality and human rights. Without dialogue within the party, its policies will surely place the ‘rights’ of Malays above all others and will perpetuate the belief that Malays need a ‘bumi-first’ party in power to ensure that their place in Malaysia is preserved.

The ‘bumi-first’ politics takes away from the real problems of the country, that of under-development, unemployment, poverty and corruption. The ‘bumi-first’ mentality actually feeds into these issues, and is also fed by them. It is a vicious cycle. Parti Pribumi Bersatu is perpetuating that mentality and this vicious cycle.

Therefore, to stop this cycle and promote growth and unity in Malaysia, all Malaysians need a party and government that will do more for the rural populations, regardless of ethnicity or religion. A true party for Malaysians should be one that regards the problems Malaysia faces as problems suffered by all Malaysians, and the solutions lie in supporting Malaysians — all Malaysians.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.